Bitter rivals clash in ‘superclasico’ Copa final

BUENOS AIRES: Millions of football mad fans in Argentina are eagerly counting down to the first ever “superclasico” Copa Libertadores final between the country’s two powerhouse outfits: Boca Juniors and River Plate.

Beginning with today’s first leg at Boca’s iconic Bombonera stadium fans of the two most popular teams in the country will be reaching fever pitch long before the return leg two weeks later at River’s Monumental ground.

It will be a tie that’s not for the faint hearted between two teams that allegedly command the support of 70 percent of the country’s football fans.

It’s the most explosive and combustible match in a nation in which fans have been banned from travelling to away matches since 2013 due to football-related violence that has seen 305 supporters killed in the last 50 years, according to the Salvemos al Futbol (Let’s save football) charity.

The rivalry between the two sides, both originally from the working class La Boca district of Buenos Aires before River moved to the more upmarket Nunez neighbourhood, has been lauded as the greatest in world football by numerous newspapers and magazines.

Britain’s The Observer claimed it “makes the Old Firm game” between Glasgow rivals Celtic and Rangers that has toxic sectarian undertones “look like a primary school kick-about.”

Football magazine FourFourTwo as well as British newspapers The Daily Telegraph and Daily Mirror have recognised it as the fiercest derby – known as a clasico in Spanish — rivalry on the planet.

Boca Juniors’ president Daniel Angelici (left) and River Plate counterpart Rodolfo D’Onofrio insist the teams are “rivals not enemies”

The teams’ presidents have tried to calm the waters ahead of a tie being dubbed the “superclasico” of the century.

“We call upon supporters, fans and club members to experience this as a popular festival, we are rivals not enemies,” said River’s Rodolfo D’Onofrio and Daniel Angelici of Boca in a joint statement.