Back in the day, visitors to Avellaneda travelling over the Pueyrredón bridge would be greeted with a singular message of welcome. While behind them lie Buenos Aires City, the capital of Argentina, ahead, the billboard proclaimed, lay the “Nation’s Capital of Football.” It is not a title the city holds in vain. Avellaneda is one of seven cities on the planet that houses two world champion clubs, and with around 360,000 inhabitants is by far the smallest to hold that distinction.
Those glory days are small comfort for Racing Club and Independiente right now, though, as the two Grandes struggle through a 2026 which has brought little by way of joy on the pitch.
Racing’s 2-1 reverse at the hands of Atlético Tucumán on Sunday night was the team’s fifth Liga Profesional defeat in the last six games. That horrendous run sees La Academia sit rock-bottom of Group B with their play-off chances looking more remote than ever.
This is a side, remember, that as recently as last October pushed Flamengo all the way in the Copa Libertadores semi-finals and missed out on a league title on penalties against Estudiantes at the end of the year, but first the venerable Gustavo Costas and now Juan Pablo Vojvoda have been unable to channel that past success as Racing continue to look brittle at the back and, with star striker Adrián Martínez a shadow of his former self, toothless going forward.
Things are not much better in the boardroom. President Diego Milito has found running the club a far tougher prospect than in his erstwhile playing days as an icon on the blue-and-white side of Avellaneda, failing to replace key players like Maxi Salas, Juan Quintero, Roger Martínez and most recently Gabriel Rojas and Santiago Sosa, cornerstones of the team’s 2024 Copa Sudamericana triumph.
The manner of Costas’ dismissal, with the veteran coach denied even the chance to have an emotional farewell in El Cilindro, did not help matters at all. Now Vojvoda’s fate seems tied up in the Copa Argentina, with a must-win quarter-final tie against rivals Boca on the horizon. Lose there and Milito may be forced to make another change on the bench with even more scrutiny on his own position.
It will come as scant consolation for the president that his counterpart three blocks down the road is under more pressure still. Last week Néstor Grindetti confirmed that neither he nor anyone from the current Independiente board will be standing in elections at the end of 2026, an announcement that given the club’s malaise surprised nobody.
Grindetti has overseen a frightful decline at El Rojo, whose last league title came all the way back in 2002, with constant calls for early elections and a complete overhaul of the administration.
A 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Atlético Tucumán forced Independiente into their own coaching change already this term, with Gustavo Quinteros shown the door. His replacement, Jadson Vieira, came with a slim CV and has failed to win over an impatient fanbase, though he did manage his maiden win at the third time of trying at the weekend by taking down Central Córdoba 1-0.
It will likely take more than that to quell the Independiente faithful, though, frustrated by years of underachievement and mismanagement and already looking forward to removing the board at the polls in a few short months.
Avellaneda’s Capital status is not in danger just yet, but Racing and Independiente need to a turn the corner fast else it becomes just another hollow slogan.
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