The synthesis of what football is for a fan was reflected in the Madre de Ciudades stadium in Santiago del Estero, where Racing-River was played for the 32nd round of the Argentine Cup. That magic was in the presence of each one of the parishioners of the Nueva Italia club.
Because while River fans were mostly from here, from the nearby cities (the tune “delivered them”), those of Racing challenged the 400-kilometer route. And one weekday they put their chests up to the heat and added color, flags and a lot of noise to the head of the stadium.
On the way, the police grouped the buses and made them enter through an artery that was full of people from River. Nothing happened, as it should always be. A chicana here, another there… and not much else.
Later, those from Córdoba seized the header in its lower part and some 4000 “crazy” who came following the dream of knocking down a big one, did not slacken his breath one bit. They dedicated some songs to “La Gloria” and made noise throughout the entire game.
A giant cloth was unfolded to cover them like a sacred mantle: it left them under the colors with which their hearts are dyed. And he also thundered “I don’t care what they say, what others say, because this campaign I will be with you once more.” And they demonstrated it in this excursion to the “heat” of Santiago.
There were lights in the sector and, around the time of the game, the upper part of the audience was also dyed albiceleste: many arrived on the very edge of the start of the game. The throats turned red, the naked torsos were the image of the people who sweated for the process of a game that was reissued following more than three decades.
Racing had its endurance. “Chiquito” Bossio’s team knows they can count on their people. Whenever and wherever.
A fan’s story
Sebastián has lived in Termas de Río Hondo for six years, 100 kilometers from the capital of Santiago del Estero.
Fanatic because his father Calixto infected him with the love for the albiceleste, he is always there when he can see him play La Academia.
The Piluso that covered his head is… “a symbol for my old man, who ‘left’ more than a year ago. He made me Racing and I always will be. I saw him on the pitch in Las Palmas, on the Escuela or Juniors pitch”.
Like Sebastián, the stories of passion for Racing multiplied by thousands on the night in Santiago del Estero.