ARGENTINE FOOTBALL Emotions run high on opening weekend of season 20-02-2021 07:24 Ricardo Zielinski was one of 10 new coaches on display on the opening weekend, and each fared mixed fortunes. by Dan Edwards
BOCA JUNIORS Boca and evergreen Tevez aim big, amid unwelcome distractions 13-02-2021 09:29 It would not be a Boca pre-season without at least a few rumours of both Tevez's dissatisfaction and general unrest in the club camp. by Dan Edwards
LOCAL FOOTBALL Argentine football continues to come back in torrents 06-02-2021 09:16 The dust has barely settled on the Copa Diego Armando Maradona but in just one week's time, the 26 Primera teams will lock horns once more in a brand-new tournament. by Dan Edwards
ARGENTINE FOOTBALL Platense desperate to end 22-year stay outside top flight 30-01-2021 09:03 To teams and their fans stuck in the lower reaches of the football pyramid, every moment away from the promised land of the top flight can feel like an eternity. Platense know that sensation better than most. by Dan Edwards
COPA SUDAMERICANA Pepe and Pepo head Lanús’ push for second Copa Sudamericana title 23-01-2021 10:40 The financial devastation caused by the events of the last 12 months prompted Lanús to look even more closely at their young talent. by Dan Edwards
COPA LIBERTADORES Libertadores: River's heroics fall just short, timid Boca fail to get going 15-01-2021 01:25 Any hopes (or fears) of a repeat of 2018's Superclásico Copa Libertadores were extinguished over the course of 48 hours this week. by Dan Edwards
COPA LIBERTADORES Boca and River fail to get going in Libertadores semi-finals 09-01-2021 08:37 Xeneize retain hopes of advancing, although they will have to up their efforts significantly. For the Millo, only a near-miracle will secure passage to Rio. by Dan Edwards
2021: THE YEAR IN PREVIEW What lies ahead for Argentine football in 2021 02-01-2021 08:57 Your (tongue-firmly-in-cheek) guide to what lies ahead for Argentine football in the next 12 months. by Dan Edwards
A LA CANCHA What might have been: Sabella and Maradona in Sheffield 19-12-2020 09:23 Late footballer and national team coach Alejandro Sabella was a fans favourite during his time with English side Sheffield United – and he was nearly joined in South Yorkshire by Diego Maradona. by Dan Edwards
COPA LIBERTADORES Argentine sides remain in running as Copa Libertadores nears end 12-12-2020 10:00 By the time the Libertadores finally bids farewell to 2020 on the eve of Christmas Eve, there will be at least one Argentine team among South America's four top sides. by Dan Edwards
DIEGO ARMANDO MARADONA (1960-2020) Maradona: Out of this world 28-11-2020 07:35 Diego Armando Maradona, the popular icon that Argentina was crying out for, blessed us mortals with 60 years in his magnetic presence. But now, the ‘Cosmic Kite’ has finally been called back to his home planet. by Dan Edwards
A LA CANCHA Stormy waters in Avellaneda as sudden crisis engulfs Racing 21-11-2020 09:32 A run of defeats has plunged Racing Club into crisis. Such is the scale of the disaster that it now looks set to take with it one of the club's most beloved figures: Diego Milito. by Dan Edwards
WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS Argentina's perfect start cut short by ever-competitive Paraguay 12-11-2020 23:43 Argentina went into Thursday's World Cup qualifier hoping to extend their perfect start to the competition, but had to settle for a tense 1-1 draw against a combative Paraguay side by Dan Edwards
Liga Profesional de Fútbol Opening weekend overshadowed by Maradona’s health woes 05-11-2020 13:05 Top-flight football returned to Argentina last weekend, but most of the nation’s fans were focused on events in La Plata and row over River’s search for a temporary home. by Dan Edwards
FOOTBALL IN ARGENTINA Top-flight football returns in Argentina, but Covid's presence looms large 30-10-2020 02:00 The long wait is over. After more than seven months of wistful stares at empty stadiums Argentine football is back, on none other than the 60th birthday of wayward legend and Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata coach Diego Maradona. by Dan Edwards
FOOTBALL Argentina’s footballing authorities pick a fight with Disney 24-10-2020 09:27 AFA and new-look Liga de Fútbol Profesional – a.k.a. the powers that be in local football – pick a fight with Mickey, Donald, Pluto & Co, with another broadcasting rights battle in the courts the only obvious outcome. by Dan Edwards
INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL Snarling skipper Messi sets tone for Argentina 17-10-2020 09:10 Lionel Messi was back to his vociferous best this week, and the Albiceleste captain's transformation from shrinking violet to snarling porteño cabbie stuck in rush hour traffic has been gestating for some time now. by Dan Edwards
WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS Little to shout about as Argentina see off Ecuador 09-10-2020 01:12 The stands were silent at the La Bombonera on Thursday night and Lionel Messi and Co responded with a suitably muted performance against Ecuador. by Dan Edwards
ARGENTINE FOOTBALL Renewal and re-invention: the secret to Gallardo’s success at River 03-10-2020 10:08 Coaching in the Primera División, even at one of the nation's top clubs, is often a thankless task, and one that only gets harder the longer one occupies a place on the bench. by Dan Edwards
FOOTBALL & CORONAVIRUS World Cup ties pose selection dilemmas for Albiceleste 26-09-2020 10:25 Putting out an Albiceleste XI for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers is an acute logistical and selection dilemma for Lionel Scaloni. But despite the difficulties, some of Argentina’s old-guard still can’t find a spot in the squad. by Dan Edwards
COPA LIBERTADORES Argentine sides return to action in Copa Libertadores 17-09-2020 23:52 All five of Argentina's Copa Libertadores participants were back in action in the continental competition this week, dusting off the cobwebs after the extended, seemingly endless absence forced upon them by the coronavirus pandemic. by Dan Edwards
FOOTBALL Bielsa ready to take on ‘best league in the world’ 12-09-2020 10:12 Two months have passed since Leeds clinched the Championship title and Marcelo Bielsa has been hard at work, preparing his side to take on England’s top clubs. by Dan Edwards
COPA & CORONAVIRUS Libertadores ties in doubt as 18 Boca players test positive for virus 05-09-2020 09:34 Wth Boca's first match against Paraguay’s Libertad less than two weeks away, serious doubts have emerged over how the club will be able to fulfil their fixtures. by Dan Edwards
END OF AN ERA? We need to talk about Lionel Messi 29-08-2020 10:20 Barcelona are entitled to seek a fair price for their prize asset, but they do not have the right to deny Lionel Messi the chance to seek his future elsewhere after such a long, glittering spell. by Dan Edwards
FOOTBALL IN ARGENTINA Nacional's high-fliers mocked as AFA’s creates another monstrosity 20-08-2020 22:25 The men from Viamonte have done it again: just when you thought they couldn’t mess up the national game anymore, they’ve created another monstrosity, rendering a host of already played matches irrelevant in the process. by Dan Edwards
FOOTBALL IN ARGENTINA Problem mount for Independiente as clubs return to training 15-08-2020 10:18 The case of El Rojo, one of the traditional 'big five' of local football, is emblematic of the struggles likely to become commonplace in this uncertain new world. by Dan Edwards
FOOTBALL IN ARGENTINA First tentative steps toward ‘normality’ for the national game 08-08-2020 10:07 Argentine football's stars are finally preparing to shed the paunch and unwelcome kilos as they head back to training. by Dan Edwards
GRONDONA’S LEGACY Don Julio’s shadow still looms large over Argentine football 01-08-2020 10:01 Six years on from his death, Julio Grondona continues to live long in the public’s memory. That is a measure of his towering presence – but also the inability of his successors to clean up the mess he left behind. by Dan Edwards
FOOTBALL & THE PANDEMIC CONMEBOL forces Argentina to step up plans for return of football 18-07-2020 10:12 While many South American leagues have already retaken the field or are preparing to restart leagues, in Argentina even the return to training remains pending. That, however, hasn’t stopped CONMEBOL. by Dan Edwards
FOOTBALL Footballers must look forward, despite coronavirus confusion 11-07-2020 09:29 Growth and momentum are key in football – just ask Argentine strike duo Lautaro Martínez and Adolfo Gaich. by Dan Edwards
FOOTBALL Epic Italia ‘90 continues to live long in the memory 04-07-2020 09:35 If Italia '90 was a grainy Fellini masterpiece, complex, tense and unafraid to lay bare humanity at its ugliest and, therefore, most real, four years later football had already crossed the line into pure Disney fantasy. by Dan Edwards
FOOTBALL IN ARGENTINA Tevez likely to re-sign with Boca – will Centurión be joining him? 25-06-2020 23:29 There may be no date yet for a resumption of top-flight football in Argentina, but that's not stopping Boca Juniors from making moves in the transfer market. by Dan Edwards
FOOTBALL Gallardo unafraid to go against AFA on virus crisis 20-06-2020 11:48 River Plate coach Marcelo Gallardo voices his discontent at the Covid-19 lockdown. He might be wrong on this occasion, but at least he’s willing to stray from AFA’s party line. by Dan Edwards
FOOTBALL IN ARGENTINA Two of the league’s most dependable veterans bow out 13-06-2020 10:56 Ignacio Scocco and Gastón Fernández will surely not have to wait too long until they are toasted once again by the River Plate and Estudiantes faithful respectively. by Dan Edwards
FOOTBALL UNDER LOCKDOWN Deportivo Riestra in hot water after lockdown training breach 06-06-2020 10:28 Villa Soldati side gain the dubious honour of becoming Argentina’s first club to break coronavirus lockdown rules. by Dan Edwards
HOOLIGAN VIOLENCE Barra violence continues in Argentina – with or without football 30-05-2020 08:58 Failed assasination attempt on Boca hooligan Marcelo ‘El Manco’ Aravena shows that not even a global pandemic and the cancellation of matches can stop barra violence. by Dan Edwards
FOOTBALL IN ARGENTINA Old habits hard to shake as AFA regains control of top-flight football 21-05-2020 23:08 AFA President Claudio 'Chiqui' Tapia awarded fresh four-year term, as football governing body regains control of top-flight football, bringing in new Liga de Fútbol Profesional to replace Superliga. by Dan Edwards
BOCA-RIVER RIVALRY The Superclásico that took the Boca-River rivalry to new heights 16-05-2020 10:00 Thursday marked the fifth anniversary of the infamous Boca-River Libertadores pepper-spray incident, an event that pushed the rivals’ animosity to almost-unseen levels. by Dan Edwards
WORLD FOOTBALL Brazil takes tentative steps toward restarting football, unlike Argentina 09-05-2020 09:02 For once, officials in Argentina are adopting a sensible approach to a high-profile issue – unlike the country’s giant neighbour to the north. by Dan Edwards
ARGENTINE FOOTBALL AFA’s attempt to be decisive only ends up being divisive 02-05-2020 09:00 If any observers were hoping that questions about the future of Argentine football would be answered this week they were to be sorely disappointed, if not entirely surprised. by Dan Edwards
FUTURE OF LOCAL FOOTBALL Football officials toy with removing relegation amid virus shutdown 25-04-2020 09:59 Argentine football has now been paralysed for more than a month, causing immense damage to the budgets and bank balance of almost every team in the country. by Dan Edwards
FOOTBALL & CORONAVIRUS Desperate fans await football's return, though some are still going 19-04-2020 08:04 Just four leagues in the world continue to hold professional football matches, with Nicaragua the sole American nation that has not shut down the activity. by Dan Edwards
‘EL LOCO’ IN LEEDS Marcelo Bielsa’s value should be measured in far more than titles 11-04-2020 08:32 Yes, there are naysayers, but Marcelo Bielsa’s is once again leading by example amid the coronavirus pandemic, proving once again that his impact goes above and beyond the trophy cabinet. by Dan Edwards
ARGENTINE FOOTBALL Footballers are easy targets for virus-tinged anger at high earners 04-04-2020 08:26 There’s a lot of talk about the cutting of salaries amid the coronavirus pandemic, but there’s no reason footballers should be singled out above other societal high-earners. by Dan Edwards
TALES FROM THE BEAUTIFUL GAME René Houseman: the football star devoted to Argentina’s villas 28-03-2020 11:47 El Loco, the ex-Huracán and Argentina idol who passed away two years ago this week, was a true villero who never forgot his roots. by Dan Edwards
NO FOOTBALL IN ARGENTINA Argentina’s lower leagues will be hit hard by virus crisis 21-03-2020 09:13 Cancellation is an inconvenience for Superliga clubs, but it may prove to be devastating for those hanging on in the lower leagues, deprived of even the modest incomes they rely on. by Dan Edwards
BOCA CAMPEON Superiga glory makes Russo the toast of La Boca 14-03-2020 07:56 Who, at the start of the season, would’ve predicted that Boca would take the title against Maradona’s Gimnasia, with Russo on the bench and Riquelme in the directors’ box? by Dan Edwards
Argentine superliga Not even a River-Boca title showdown will save the Superliga 06-03-2020 11:41 At breakneck speed and with an outrageous ad hoc rule change thrown in for good measure, the Superliga's days appear to be numbered. by Dan Edwards
FOOTBALL IN ARGENTINA Football resumes after Summer break – and sadly, so does fan violence 29-02-2020 10:10 Until both clubs and the authorities get serious on supporter violence, and hand down suitable punishments, football in Argentina will remain locked in the same old cycle. by Dan Edwards
ARGENTINE FOOTBALL Man City’s ban sparks dreams of prodigal sons 23-02-2020 16:41 UEFA bombshell greeted with glee in Argentina, but calm down, the top stars are not returning home anytime soon. by Dan Edwards
