Football in Argentina
Football is the most popular sport by far in Argentina. It is played not only in clubs, but mainly on football fields and roads are often very informal conditions. Also Argentines who play not active, are usually a fan of a specific club or at least the national team. In large parts of the population of the Fankult occupies a significant role in daily life. Important tournaments - such as World Cup and Copa America - as well as the derbies between the major teams, especially the superclásico between Boca Juniors and River Plate, attract big crowds that watch the games either in the stadium or on TV.
The Argentine football has the reputation of the typical South American, characterized by sophisticated technology soccer style with the typical European tactics and combat football to join. The Argentine national team is among the most successful in the world. The first league, the Primera División is to be regarded as the strongest in South America and their clubs have by far won the most titles in the Copa Libertadores.
- 2.4.1 Primera C Metropolitana
- 2.4.2 Torneo Argentino B
- 2.5.1 Primera D Metropolitana
- 2.5.2 Torneo del Interior / Argentino C
- 4.1 Leagues and Tournaments 4.1.1 Torneo Femenino
- 4.1.2 leagues of the interior
History
Football was brought by English immigrants to Argentina in the late 19th century. Many names of today's football clubs, such as River Plate or Newell 's Old Boys, point to this origin. The first recorded official football match was held in 1867 in the Cricket Club of Buenos Aires; It was founded in the same year, the first football team of Argentina, the Buenos Aires Football Club, aligned. Because of lack of players each team had while only 8 members. In the following years, however, there were numerous club foundations in the English immigrant community. 1891 with the Argentine Association Football League, the first official league founded the predecessor to the current Argentine Football Association.
As the sport of football in other countries became more popular, he jumped in Argentina by the British immigrants shaft over to the rest of the population. In 1890, the national team of men was established, which won its first international match on May 16 against the neighboring country Uruguay 3-2.
During the 20th century, football has developed into a popular sport in the country. There were initially several competing organizations, who banded together in 1934 to Asociación del Football ( Fútbol later ) Argentino (AFA ). Before that, in 1931, was officially the Liga Argentina de Football, introduced the first professional league that is still limited to the metropolitan areas of Buenos Aires, Rosario and La Plata. After the foundation of the AFA urged more and more clubs from the interior in this league, but up to the 60s they were a tiny minority.
It was not until 1966, the structure of the league system was fundamentally reformed. The concentrated at the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires 'traditional' League was called Torneo Metropolitano and competed, starting this year with the nationwide Campeonato Nacional, which was played in the Cup mode with knockout round. The Metropolitano was held in the first half of the year, while the Nacional was organized as a championship in the second. Thus the Fußballandschaft started from the stagnation of the previous year break, it was the first time smaller teams given the opportunity to become champion. In 1978 the country out of the World Cup, while the Argentine national team became the first world champion.
1985, a further reform of the league system was made. Instead of two competing leagues a nationwide league called Primera División was founded on the basis of the Metropolitano that. Around a second professional league, which was expanded Nacional B, From the 1990/91 season two champions each year have been played, this system is maintained until today.
In the same time were the greatest successes of the national team. The world title in 1986 and second place in 1990 After that she could despite some outstanding performances no longer build on these successes in international tournaments. Low point was the 2002 World Cup, where the team has been eliminated in the first round.
In 2011, the AFA a one cup competition, which bears the name of Copa Argentina, so, to allow the football to " federalize ", also club teams from provinces without professional operation to participate in a nationwide tournament.
League system
In association operating the men's teams, there are five professional leagues. The two top divisions, the Primera División and the Nacional B are single-track, while the underlying game classes are divided into two groups: the clubs, the AFA report directly (most of Greater Buenos Aires ) are subject to, and those that regional football associations which in turn are connected to the AFA (associations of the interior and some isolated of Greater Buenos Aires ).
For historical reasons, some teams from the province of Santa Fe (Rosario Central, Newell 's Old Boys, Central Córdoba, Argentino, Colón and Unión ) are also directly under the AFA.
Primera División (1st League )
- Main article: Primera División
The Primera División is the first Argentine football league. In its 20 teams to the Argentine league title and the qualification to play international tournaments Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana. The titles are awarded after the Apertura - Clausura system, ie round-trip Round deemed to be separate championships.
Primera B Nacional (2nd league)
- Main article: Primera B Nacional
The second Argentine League Primera B Nacional consists of 20 teams. The competition format is different from the first league since the 2007 /08 season is that only a championship each year is played. The best two teams in the Primera División climb on, two more will receive a Relegation Round ( promoción ) against first division teams also the opportunity for advancement.
3 League
The third Argentine league is divided into two parts and consists of the Torneo Argentino A for teams from the interior and the Primera B Metropolitana for teams in the Capital Region.
Primera B Metropolitana
- Main article: Primera B Metropolitana
In the Primera B play 21 teams from Buenos Aires, La Plata and surrounding areas. The mode is similar to the Nacional B, so it is a championship every year played out. The Master rises directly in the Primera B Nacional. The teams ranked 2-9 play a playoff promotion round, with the winners playing with a team from the Nacional B for promotion or relegation. The team with the worst points average of the last three years rises directly from the Primera C, the second-worst plays the promoción.
Torneo Argentino A
- Main article: Torneo Argentino A
In the Torneo Argentino A play 25 teams outside of Greater Buenos Aires in four regionally -based groups for the championship. The game is played in a group stage (3 groups ) and a subsequent one-two system in which the climber will be determined in the Nacional B. The Master rises directly, the second plays against the team from the Nacional B with the worst points -section of the interior (except the direct relegation ) in a Relegation Round ( promoción ).
The two bottom-placed with the worst score rise directly from the Argentino B, the best last and the worst come to the penultimate promoción ( Relegation Round ).
4 League
Primera C Metropolitana
In the Primera C play 20 teams from Buenos Aires in the same mode as in the Primera B, so there is a championship, a direct and losers, a playoff round for the ascent promoción entitled and a possible relegated to the Primera D on the descent promoción.
Torneo Argentino B
In the Torneo Argentino B play 48 teams in two group stages and a subsequent knock-out system for the climb into the Torneo Argentino A. In the first round there are 6 groups, the top 16 are divided into four groups of four and play the second round. The most points each group will play two final games against each other. The two winners rise to right, the losers come in the promoción.
There are three direct relegation, which are determined from the point of the worst groups in the first round of a one-time knockout game. The losers of these games descend directly, the winners play a promoción with each second of the Torneo del Interior.
5 League
Primera D Metropolitana
The fifth Argentine professional league for the Greater Buenos Aires is called Primera D, where 18 teams will play for the promotion to the Primera C. The mode is the same as the Primera Primera B and C, so it is a championship played and are a playoff round. Since 2007 /08
The team with the worst points cut is excluded from the AFA league system for a year and another team given the chance to play in the Primera D. After the year barring the team can return when she buys a new starting place, otherwise jumps to another team or the league is reduced.
Torneo del Interior / Argentino C
For the interior there since 2005, the Torneo Argentino C ( also called Torneo del Interior ), to participate in the 218 teams. The teams are divided into three zones, in each of which a group stage and a knock-out takes place. The winners of the second round rise directly to the Argentino B, the losers play a promoción for promotion.
The qualification for the Torneo Argentino C via the regional amateur leagues of provinces, whose masters are entitled to participate in this tournament. Often, however, the master forego economic reasons - especially if they come from small towns - and give their starting place in this tournament to another, better-prepared team from.
Local football leagues
Each of the regional football associations has at least a league that have the largest one mehrklassiges league system. It may happen that an association both a team under holds in one or even several regional leagues, as well as participate in one of the professional tournaments. Often the regional leagues are very small, they exist either on location or about to Partido or department level.
Will introduce a new league, a regional organization, it must be approved by the Federal Congress of the AFA, which projects the regional associations.
Cup competition " Copa Argentina "
Under the name of Copa Argentina, the official club of the AFA Cup will be held in 2011. The name is geared to two tournaments, which were held in 1969 and 1970.
At the Copa Argentina take all club teams from the professional leagues La Liga, Primera B Nacional, Primera B Metropolitana and Torneo Argentino A and Primera C and Torneo Argentino B and the amateur teams of the Primera D Metropolitana and four teams from provinces in part that none of the professional tournaments participate.
The game mode follows the Co- system: First, the lower division teams play gradually from half of the 32 participants in the final, where they meet División on the top 16 teams from the Primera. The 32 finalists will then play in sixteenth, eighth, quarter and semi-final return match and in a single final game of the winner. The winner is entitled to participate in the Copa Sudamericana.
Women's Soccer
Football in Argentina is considered in contrast to neighboring Brazil still mainly men as sport. Nevertheless, many women and girls play football as a hobby. However, there is still no national league, but only regional amateur leagues, most of them in Buenos Aires. As unofficial champion shall be the winner of the league of the Capital Region, next to the Gran Buenos Aires also includes La Plata and is organized as a single of the AFA. Also in women's football are the most successful clubs Boca Juniors and River Plate.
The women's football team was in March 2011, according to the FIFA World Ranking, the third best in South America, just behind Colombia, however, both are by far behind Brazil, which is one of the best women's teams in the world. She took in 2003, for the first time at a World Cup finals, but different in the preliminary round after three significant defeats ( 0:6, 0:3 and 1:6 ) from. 2006 succeeded the Argentineans the first time winning the South American Championship in their own country, and thus qualifying for the 2007 World Cup in China. The 2-0 victory over Brazil was also the first win against the rivals from the neighboring country. In the 2007 World Cup but the team also resigned from directly after the first round, while the Brazilians reached the second place. In 2011 she retired already made in qualifying.
Leagues and Tournaments
There is no national women's football league in Argentina, nor a professional game operation. While there are several tournaments that call themselves Argentine Championship, but none of them are officially recognized by the AFA. There is also an unofficial cup competition, the Copa Challenger.
Torneo Femenino
The Torneo Femenino is the only league that directly from the Asociación del Fútbol Argentino (AFA ) is aligned. Although it includes only the capital region around Buenos Aires, it is unofficially regarded as the highest -ranking woman tournament this country.
The tournament has been held since 1991. Master record is Boca Juniors with 13 titles, followed by River Plate with 7
Since there is no lower-ranking league will be no promotion and relegation of teams. The participants therefore change only when certain teams leaving voluntarily and make room for others.
Leagues of the interior
In addition to this tournament following local and regional amateur wife leagues exist in the following regions:
- Chaco
- San Carlos de Bariloche, the most extensive and most popular league game with multiple classes
- Rosario
- Mendoza
- Córdoba.
In San Salvador de Jujuy and Posadas, as well as in the Río Grande is leagues are under construction.
Trivia
In the Argentine Bellville of modern football was invented in 1931 ( the sports equipment ). Previously, the air had been pumped into a pig's bladder, which was then knotted. Luis Polo, and Juan Antonio Tosolini Valbonesi built in the throw a valve, so that he could be pumped up again and again. From 1936 it was used under the name Super Ball in the tournaments of the AFA.