Revisiting the Superclásico: a story of death, violence, colour and family

Attending Boca v River in the week I turned 60 made me recall a lifetime of experiences at the fixture

Ever since the Observer Sport Monthly published a list of 50 sporting things you must do before you die with Watch Boca Juniors Play River Plate in Buenos Aires at No 1 in 2004, the biggest super derby in Argentina has been firmly positioned in the global imagination; its reputation for colour, passion and uncontainable emotion acquiring an almost glamorous sheen. The thump and thud of the coordinated chants, the shiny ticker-tape amid flare smoke matching the teams’ strips, the bounce of the concrete as tens of thousands jump in unison, mounted police surrounding the stadium, avalanche stoppers set alight, rockets aimed at players; blood and fire.

Exciting, right?

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