"You’re going home in a Buenos Aires ambulance..."

It doesnâÂÂt quite have the same ring to it as some of it's English equivalents on the terraces (especially given the woeful healthcare service â but thatâÂÂs another story), but it still isnâÂÂt a pleasant sentiment.

Yet Argentinian fans, as you would expect from the home of the tango, wax a more lyrical insult â my particular favourite being "Tu hermana en tanga," translated as "Your sister in the G-string."

River Plate fans have become a bitter lot in recent years, but the boiling point I predicted a month or so ago appears to be steaming at least, with the head of chairman Jose Maria Aguilar still to fall.


Tickets for the upper-tier were snapped up in seconds... 

Now the fans are also turning on the players, with these choice insults heard in recent weeks:

"Que se vayan todos, que no queda uno solo" â "That everyone goes, and no one is left."

"Se va  acabar, esta dictadura de Aguilar" âÂÂ"ItâÂÂs going to end, this dictatorship of Aguilar."

However, the one that is really sending the shivers through the River changing rooms is:

"Jugadores, si los vemos en un boliche, los mandamos al hospital" - "Players, if we see you in a nightclub, we are going to send you to hospital."

Empty threats? Well, considering members of RiverâÂÂs violent barra brava have been killed in the past, if I were a player IâÂÂd be spending more nights at home.

And why the vitriol? River are currently seventh, and sinking quickly. They are already out of the Copa Libertadores â the most important competition in South America â after crashing out in the first round, winning only one game.

They then they lost 4-0 to Huracan last weekend.

Huracan! I am now a Huracan supporter. They have always fitted in neatly with my other team, Scunthorpe, in terms of division yo-yoing. So to beat River 4-0... wow.


Huracan celebrate humping River 

It was the shock of the weekend, even in a particularly high scoring couple of days.

Results: 

Argentinos 2-4 Godoy Cruz
Lanús 2-1 Rosario Central
Huracán 4-0 River
Newell`s 1-1 Banfield
Gimnasia 3-1 Vélez
Tigre 2-1 Colón
Boca 2-1 Arsenal
Racing 1-2 San Martín (T)
Independiente 1-5 Estudiantes
Gimnasia (J) 0-3 San Lorenzo

---------------------------------------------

FourFourTwo.com: More to read...

Argie Bargy home
Blogs home 
Latest South America news
News home
Interviews home
Forums home
FourFourTwo.com home