What Is Superclásico Like? We Caught Up With Germán Cabrera To Find Out
When we knew we had a big Superclásico release coming up there was one man we wanted to catch up with - Germán Cabrera AKA G10.
G10 is the head coach on founder of G10 Futbol and an avid Boca Juniors fan. Having grown up in Buenos Aires before migrating to Australia with his parents, he knows what this game means.
Germán we know how much this game means to you. Can you tell us what the vibe is like back home in the lead up to Superclasico?
The attention starts almost two weeks before the game. Media outlets begin to cover every fine detail. From training sessions to what the pitch condition is like - even the weather forecast for game day. You name it - they cover it.
Sport channels bring in a panel of journalists and ex-players to analyze everything. Formations, current form, internal issues within the teams... nothing is left out.
Restaurants and pubs run promos for the Superclásico. In the lead up you see Buenos Aires covered with advertisments making the most out of the game. These venues get packed and sold out very fast as people have their usual spots they watch the game. People tend to stick to places they've watched games in the past as superstition is a big thing in Argentina. Especially when it comes to futbol.
What is match day like in Buenos Aires? Are there any cultural things locals do to start the day?
Match Day is complete madness if you're attending the game. You can see the movement the fans are making early. Fans travel via trains or buses for each Barra (Ultras) depending on the barrio that they come from. It can get super dangerous pre-game as these guys will jump off the buses and start trouble with anyone they encounter wearing the wrong jersey. The chanting and jumping is non stop as soon as they meet up. Flags stick out of the windows of every single bus that passes you by.
Some people wear the same old jersey that they have had since god knows when. Others go pray to a virgin and will wear their rosary bead chains, then watch the game with the same people and eating the same food. There's a long list of superstitious things that people do for game days.
You can smell the coal and firewood burning early on in the day with Asado preparations under way. If you're attending the game then you will encounter the locals selling patties (burgers) and choripans on the outskirts of the stadium. There's also a crazy amount of merchandise as well. All these things would be extremely illegal here in Aus as we have pretty strict rules and regulations when it comes to food.
My mouth waters when I think about the many times I have gone to La Bombonera to watch a game. I always grab a choripan while heading to security check points.
In Rome they say that winning the Derby della Capitale is the most important thing. As long as you’re beating your rival it’s been a successful season - is that the same in Argentina?
With Superclásico what ever is happening in the league or copa means nothing. All that matters is the game and who ever wins has bragging rights until the next one.
What’s it like ticket wise? Is everyone scrambling for tickets? Can you tell us about your experience going to Superclásico?
Getting tickets is extremely difficult. Now we have a ton of issues within the league with away fans being banned from attending away games. Things have changed a lot now. The local team fans will line up for hours to try and get tickets.
Then you have the tickets in the black market which are sold with ease to the tourists. The Barra Bravas (Ultras) make some serious money on match days so you can just imagine how much they clean up when its Superclásico.
Security for any matchday is pretty full on. There's military like Police heavily armed at every check point that you go through. With Superclásico games its stepped up further with Police cars and bikes escorting both team buses to the ground.
I was fortunate enough to go to a Superclásico at La Bombonera back in 2007. We managed to get tickets via someone that worked for Boca Radio. While we waited to meet up with the person who was bringing us the ticket you could see LA 12 already marching. A massive group with drums, umbrellas and trapos (flags). A bunch of these guys had walkie talkies in hand directing the group as if they were official Boca junior staff.
You can just imagine all the illegal contraband that’s wrapped inside the trapos. These guys didn’t even show tickets to enter the last part to head inside the actual stadium. Its crazy loud with loud bangs going off every few minutes. The barras run the show on match days and have free range to do what they want. If it gets out of order the club takes no responsibility even though they look after them.
I sat in the LA 12 section this game right behind the goal. You couldn’t see much due to the long trapos dropping down from the top stand to the bottom. The ground was shaking and you could feel it through your body. There is a saying “la bombonera no late tiembla" which translates to "the Bombonera doesn’t beat, it shakes"
There was one moment when I stupidly took out from my pocket a small digital camera to record. I was suddenly grabbed by my arm from the person standing behind me and I remember him yelling at me “ que haces? Si no queres problemas guardate la camarita de nuevo y no la vuelvas a sacar” translated “what are you doing? If you don’t want any problems then I would suggest you put away the camera and don’t take it back out again”. I did as I was told and later found out that they don’t care if you're a fan they will just pinch it off and sell it. (Barras Bravas life haha).
What was it like when you guys knew you’d be meeting in the Copa Libertadores final?
Versing each other in the Copa final became a possibility when the round of 16 fixtures came out. It looked like it could definitely happen. When it happened everyone in South America went crazy as it was the first time in history a Superclásico Copa Libertadores final occured. The talk for everyone was this would be the most important game ever played between us both. The winner having extreme bragging rights over the looser.
After finishing 2-2 in the first leg at home in the Bombonera and then the outrageous issues and incidents that occurred outside the Monumental with Rivers Barra Bravas launching rocks and gas at the Boca bus - you just knew this was more than a sport.
I personally cannot believe the second leg was played in Spain. Could you imagine the Champions League final being played outside of Europe? It was a different final and it was missing that special feeling you don’t get unless you're playing it in Argentina. Even though the game had lots of supporters from all over Europe it just wasn't right.
The craziness left a lot of people feeling baffled but money talks. CONMEBOL was all in for the final to be played even though a lot of people were against it. The rest is history.
What was it like when you lost?
River plate ended up taking the win 3-1 and it was definitely the toughest defeat we have had in our history. Something we will have to live with for some time just because of how serious we take the Copa. To have lost it like that and against our biggest rival hurt.
Explain what things were like when River Plate got relegated. Was there any disappointment that there wouldn’t be matches to look forward to for a while? Or was dining out on this disaster a euphoric feeling for Boca fans?
The date was 26.06.2011 and River Plate was playing at home to Belgrano De Cordoba in the playoff phase and they drew 1-1. The final aggregate was 3-1 and this meant that for the first time in their 110 year history they would be dropping down and playing in the B Nacional. Now you can only imagine the joy we got from seeing River going down and the memes and jokes started straight away. “Big Clubs don’t get relegated”, “this stain will never come off” and so on. Posters were plastered all over La Boca written with "RiBer esta en la B."
The fact that there wouldn’t be a Superclásico didn’t bother us. We even joked at the fact that River would have a Superclásico against a team called BOCA unidos in the B Nacional.
Putting aside the losses we have had, the fact River has been relegated and we haven’t gives us that big status. We will never drop it. You can see at games fans dressed up as ghosts. There's also ghost kits flying around, signs and trapos paying tribute to their past in the B Nacional.
Just imagine if Barcelona or Real Madrid got relegated but times it by 100. I took advantage of this and gave my brother who is a River Plate supporter a hard time. I cut out the letter B and stuck around 30 of them all over his van that night. It was the quietest I had ever seen my brother, not a peep about River that season.
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