Tiros Libres: All Dressed Up, Nowhere To Go

By: Christian | August 11th, 2009

River Plate Monumental Stadium

An artist rendering of the soon to be restored Monumental

The Estadio Monumental, a multi-use facility that since 1938 has served as River Plate’s stadium and de facto home for the national team (it was also the site of Argentina’s 3-1 victory over the Netherlands in the 1978 World Cup Final), is currently undergoing a long-overdue renovation that will paint chipped and faded seats and terraces and make repairs to the pitch, which has suffered from recently staged rock concerts. When anyone will ever get to see these changes has yet to be determined.

With this weekend’s start to the Apertura postponed, and with a major World Cup Qualifier against Brazil being played in Rosario instead of Buenos Aires (more on that in a bit), the improved Monumental will instead make its debut in the relatively minor Copa Sudamericana next Wednesday against Lanús. The plan to renovate the Monumental goes back all the way to 2004 when the project was approved by President, José Aguilar, so why the 5 year wait? I haven’t heard the official reason, but with elections set to be held at the end of the year, it appears politics likely played a part.

The restoration could not have come at a worse time. Argentina is in the midst of an economic crisis that will delay the start of the football season, with clubs like River Plate unable to pay their own players wages. The problem was serious enough to warrant the Football Association delaying the start of the Apertura. For River to start a massive project at their stadium, at the same time that they are directly responsible for the crisis that will delay the start of the season that will prevent said stadium, and it’s $5 million dollar restoration price tag, from being open to the public, is another sorry reminder of the horrible management that exists in Argentine football.

To make the situation even more laughable, an upcoming World Cup qualifier against Brazil, which normally would be played at the Monumental, will instead be moved to the Gigante de Arroyito in Rosario. Some history: after Argentina’s 1-0 win over Colombia in WC qualifying on June 6th, manager Diego Maradona publicly criticized the club regarding the state of the pitch, calling it a “disgrace” and a “pasture,” in need of a paint job, and suggested that the distance of the fans to the field (a running track separates the pitch from the lower seating bowl) resulted in a lack of atmosphere which affected the team’s performance, a sentiment he claims was echoed by players on the national team.

What followed between el Diez and River’s board of directors afterwards approached farce: River demanded a public apology and suggested Diego undergo psychological and physical exams. Maradona threatened to sue. In the end all that mattered was Maradona’s opinion, and as a result the match will be played at the much smaller Gigante de Arroyito. It was a small victory for the manager and an embarrassment to River, who are forced to stand aside while the country’s most important fixture against their biggest rival will be played elsewhere.

Unlike River’s board of directors, I did not feel insulted about the change of venues. River’s pitch was indeed an eyesore, thanks to a rock concert held before the Colombia game, and I’ve always supported the idea of different cities hosting the national team. I’ve never visited Arroyito, but have seen it packed during matches between Central and Newell’s, and the noise of the crowd is incredible. In Argentina, what Diego wants, Diego gets, and I will even go so far to say that Maradona’s allegiance to Boca is probably not a factor here.

I am curious however about the idea that the stadium is somehow responsible for the terrible run of form by the national team. I always laugh when managers complain about the state of any pitch, as if their millionaire stars can’t adapt to the conditions. Are we to expect that a player like Carlos Tevez, who grew up in one of the poorest slums in Buenos Aires and probably practiced on much worse fields during his youth, can’t adapt for 90 minutes?

And are fans really that far away from the field that their cheering (or jeering) can’t possibly be heard by the players? Yes, the seats in stadiums like Velez’s Amalfitani, Racing’s Cilindro, and the aforementioned Arroyito are all closer to the pitch, but it’s not as if the terraces at the Monumental are across the street. I’ve been to plenty of games there, and I assure you, when you are in the terraces, you can see the action just fine.

Look at this video I shot in 2006 during a game against, wouldn’t you know it, Rosario Central. Does it really look like I’m that far away? Do you need to turn the volume on your computer up high because you can’t hear anyone cheering in the crowd?

Perhaps Diego should concern himself with his team and not the noise of the crowd, the state of the pitch, or the color of the stands. As for River, I congratulate them on what looks to be a beautiful restoration on our stadium, appropriate for a club as great as ours. And as long as fans won’t be able to appreciate the newly painted seats, and players won’t be able to scuff the repaired pitch, you can be sure that these new improvements will stay for quite some time.