Witness a Boca Juniors superclásicoBuenos Aires, Argentina
The Boca Juniors always put on a good show and their fervent, fanatical fans are the embodiment of soccer team pride. But for the ultimate sporting experience, score a seat at a Boca Juniors vs River Plate superclásico, and witness one of the world’s fiercest rivalries between the most raucous supporters. La Bombonera stadium (The Estadio Alberto J. Armando stadium) crams 49,000 soccer nuts into its shell, but tickets are hard to come by. Splurge on an agency trip or sidle up to stadium scalpers – just make sure you don’t snag a sham.
Shed all shades of red lest Los Xeneizes (Boca fans) mark you as a rival. Thrust a blue and gold flag in the air, and bellow along with the fans – we reckon no matter how hard you try, they’ll outdo you every time. As supporters swell with pride, they swing from scaffolding, guzzle beer by the barrel and litter the crowd with confetti. Keep an eye on La Doce, ‘the 12th player,’ a gang of ferocious fans who claim an entire section of the stadium to devote to their antics. The fanatics don’t stop at the final siren so expect singing, chanting and jeers at the losing side as the post-game rivalry spills onto the streets of Buenos Aires.
The price you’ll pay depends on where you sit and, more importantly, how generous your scalper is feeling.
Keep your wits about you after the match – some of these fans take their soccer way too seriously.
Boca Juniors
bocajuniors.com.ar