River Plate reflect on the past in new museum

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-11-19 09:35

ATTACKING TRADITION

River Plate have been synonymous with good attacking football and produced some of the greatest players to have worn Argentina's colors, including current internationals Javier Mascherano, Gonzalo Higuain, Javier Saviola, Pablo Aimar and Martin Demichelis.

A slump in that production line and transfers to European clubs that bring in much-needed cash have left River exposed on the field, near the bottom of the Apertura table and virtually out of next year's Libertadores Cup, the trophy they won in 1986 and 1996 after losing the finals of 1966 and 1976.

After a run of three successive Clausura titles from 2002 to 2004, River's 2008 Clausura title under Diego Simeone was a surprise.

They finished bottom of the next Apertura six months later and have managed to stave off relegation, the ultimate humiliation for such a club, only with their average points over three seasons, a device introduced by the Argentine Football Association in the 1980s to avoid such a mishap occurring to the so-called big clubs.

The museum, adjacent to the Monumental, opens to the public next Wednesday with an entry fee of 25 Argentine pesos ($6.56).

Previous 1 2 Next Page