Julio Zamora, from Newell, against almost all of San Paolo, in the final of the Libertadores in 1992. The Brazilians won on penalties. The Rosaries were local champions.
The Copa Libertadores has been played since 1960. The Argentine clubs – even if the last three editions have been for Brazilian teams – are the ones that have accumulated the most titles with 25, four more than those of the country of Pele and Garrincha. The two most champions are from the land of Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi: Independiente (7), Boca (6). And among the top 5 there are two other Argentines: after the third, Peñarol (5), come River and Estudiantes, both with four.
They were also champions and representatives of our football: Argentinos, Racing, San Lorenzo and Vélez, once each. But none of these eight champions managed to lift the Cup of the highest South American competition and win the local tournament.
The reasons are many, of course: the priorities that are established (Cup titles; mixed team or forklift for the territory). The temptation for the Libertadores is very strong and has consequences. And so far, few teams have decided to take risks by always playing with their gala team. Travel also influences, changes in the territory (especially the height offered by cities like Quito, La Paz or Bogotá, frequent locations of the Libertadores), scarce budgets that do not allow you to have two level players per position.
River celebrates the victory in the historic final against Boca in Madrid. He was the last Argentine champion of the Libertadores, in 2018. (Photo: Marcelo Carroll)
The current Lega Professionisti is a perfect example of this type of phenomenon. Of the six teams that have reached the second round of the Libertadores (Estudiantes, Talleres, Colón Boca, Vélez and River) are all from 11th place down. Boca (11th), River (12th), Students (18th), Colón (22nd), Talleres (23rd) and Vélez (14th). With the two who reached the round of 16 of the Sudamericana – the second competition of Conmebol – the picture is similar: Argentinos (9th) and Unión (10th).
Even when in the Libertadores – until 1987 – the winner of the previous edition entered directly into one of the groups of the semifinals (each made up of three teams), no one achieved the double. The reigning champion can become champion by playing a minimum of six games and a maximum of eight (in the event of a play-off in the semifinal and / or final). So neither of them.
Boca champion of the Copa Libertadores, in 2007. With Riquelme as a great figure. (EFE)
In the Libertadores they have been able to exploit that particularity of the “defender of the title” advantage: four times Independiente (1965, 1973, 1974 and 1975), twice Estudiantes (1969 and 1970) and once Boca (1978). But in local tournaments played at the same time, even with that calendar reduced for regulatory reasons of the time, they could not celebrate.
Juan Sebastián Verón, emblem of Estudiantes, with the Libertadores 2009, the fourth of the La Plata club.
The story of the “false exception”
Argentinos was the champion of the Libertadores in 1985 with a team that – according to journalist Miguel Angel Vicente – “it was a pleasure”. Borghi, Pepe Castro, Ereros, Commisso, Batista, Olguín, Domenech, Videla played, Vidallé saved … Yes, a great team. Much of that squad was formed thanks to the transfer of Diego Maradona to Boca, a record for those Eighties.
In his round of the Cup he had to face two very important matches: the final of the Nacional of that year against Vélez. Argentinos had won the Winners Round and Vélez, the Losers Round. On 28 August (five days after defeating Ferro 1-0 in the Libertadores group stage) they drew 1-1 and lost 4-3 on penalties. According to the regulations, now Argentinos had the possibility of another final following access from the Winners Round.
Then, on 4 September, they defeated Vélez 2-1 and won Nacional. A week later, he defeated Ferro 3-1 in the playoffs to reach the semi-final round. He passed it and, after leaving Independiente and Blooming on the road, faced the América de Cali. There were three finals: 1-0 for each one in the first leg and return. And the tie-break ended 1-1 in Asunción. The Argentine team won 4-3 on penalties. In La Paternal you can still hear the echoes of that memorable victory.
Argentinos against Independiente, in the 1985 Libertadores. He passed the Cup King and was consecrated against America.
Newell’s de Bielsa, the closest one
The revolution had already begun two years earlier, in 1990. Marcelo Bielsa said to himself -already then, perhaps forever- Crazy. He was not known outside the hermetic world of the underworld. But Bernardo Griffa, a strong man at that moment in the Rosario club, lord and owner of the best quarry in the country, opted for that madman. Newell’s was not at ease at the average table. On the third round, after the defeat at home against Huracán, whistles for the team and for the coach.
Less than six months later, on the Ferro field, and after having drawn 1-1, he turns the Olympic group winning the Apertura. The day of “Newell’s Fuck”, which today is an icon and flag and a t-shirt and emblem of an era. He later played in the 90/91 season final against Boca. He won 1-0 at home; lost 1-0 at the Bombonera. Penalty on mud. Norberto Scoponi – his archer -, superhero. And Newell’s champion. And play the 1992 Libertadores.
Marcelo Bielsa, in 1992, in command of that Newell’s so close to double.
That first semester was crazy even beyond Bielsa. For starters, he had the only starting group of five teams. He made his Libertadores debut with a 6-0 defeat against San Lorenzo, at the Parque de la Independencia (in today’s Marcelo Bielsa stadium). It looked like an earthquake. The Fool asked for calm.
Newell’s started winning in tournaments and in the Cup with surprising ease. The TD, showing his nickname, made crazy decisions. He played the classic against the Central with substitutes (one of only two games he played on the whole tour) because the next day he had to face the Universidad Católica for the Libertadores. That 8 March 1992 continues to beat in every corner of Rosario where football is talked about, from La Mesa de los Galanes to the Monumento alla Bandiera: Bielsa’s substitutes win 1-0 with a goal from El Pájaro Domizi.
The road continued on both fronts: Newell won Group 1 in Libertadores, then eliminated Defensor Sporting in the second round, San Lorenzo in the quarterfinals (4-0 win in Buenos Aires), and qualified in the semifinals after a long definition on penalties (11 -10) after two 1-1 draws. In the local tournament he was already headed for the title.
And it was the turn of the Cup final against the imposing San Pablo by Tele Santana. In Rosario (played at Arroyito) Newell won 1-0 (goal by Eduardo Berizzo); in Brazil the result was repeated but in favor of the paulistas. And there were the penalties. And it was a 3-2 defeat. A photo of the magazine El Graph and the testimony of some of the protagonists present portray a scene: Bielsa sitting on the floor of Morumbí’s locker room sobbing for what could not be.
The definition of the local tournament remained, the Clausura. And the team dressed in AC Milan did not fail there. He was champion after eleven wins, seven draws and one defeat (0-1 against Estudiantes, in La Plata), only eight goals conceded in 19 dates and unbeaten on his own field. He made the Olympic lap on the Platense field, in the last round, after drawing 1-1. That day he trained with Scoponi; Raggio (Soria), Gamboa, Llop, Pochettino; Saldana, Berizzo, Alfredo Berti; Zamora, Domizzi (Lunari) and Alfredo Mendoza. Nobody forgets them and everyone who took part in that epic journey. No other team was so close to the coveted double.
Waldemar Iglesias
Source: Clarin
