Why does it seem like Boca Jrs are much more popular than River Plate?

[Catfish]

I am curious. Everywhere I go on the Internet there are tons of Boca Jrs. supporters and rarely do I see any River Plate supporters. Please offer me your thoughts why people have flocked to Boca instead of River or another ARG club???

Thanks.

[FARFAN 17]

River Plate is the most popular

[gremista]

River Plate is the most popular

La Mitad + 1 ?

Catfish, I think some of it has to do with Boca's recent success.
They have done well in Libertadores recently and that has exposed them to many new fans. River, lately, has not enjoyed the same level of success. Boca's success has coincided with more televised games world wide, the rise of the internet and the branding power of clubs and Nike. It could easily have been River

Not long ago, if memory serves correct, River dominated. Correct me if wrong, but when I lived in Argentina in the mid 90s, River was the more succesful club. Pers observation was Boca was slightly more popular (also lots of Independiente and Racing fans) but River was more succesful.

I would also add that the money and marketing ideas of Macri have played a big role in Boca's popularity outside of Argentina. Say what you will about him, but he is an astute businessman

[metrocorazon]

Please offer me your thoughts why people have flocked to Boca instead of River or another ARG club???

Thanks.
Because people, for the most part, arent retards.

[cabanes]

i would disagree with farfan and say boca are more popular both within argentina and abroad. I think this is a pretty shared opinion. and i'm a river fan!!

[Catfish]

i would disagree with farfan and say boca are more popular both within argentina and abroad. I think this is a pretty shared opinion. and i'm a river fan!!
But why? River has plenty of trophies, money, and famous former players.

[cabanes]

Not that River isn't famous...
there is a sociological component, i think, as with major teams in any country...anyone share to comment?

[Catfish]

Not that River isn't famous...
there is a sociological component, i think, as with major teams in any country...anyone share to comment?
Huh? Please explain.
Thanks again for everyone's thoughts.

[argentine soccer fan]

Boca is the team of the common people. It seems to appeal more to the poor and the working class than River. It is interesting to speculate why.

I think it began in the 1920's when Boca made a very succesful tour of Europe, and all the fans were following the results as they slowly came. The masses of people really got into Boca, and in a way it became Argentina's national team, at a time when there wasn't even a World Cup.

Of course, when profesionalism came, Boca and River became the two biggest teams. There are other big teams, (Independiente, San Lorenzo, Racing), but Boca and River are the most dominant and the most popular.

But somehow River became associated to some extent with the wealthy. River was the team which in those early days spent the most money, and after some notable transactions they became known as 'los millonarios'. The fact that they moved and built their stadium, 'the monumental' in an affluent area of the city, north of 'el centro', (downtown), while Boca remained in the more modest neighborhood where they began, south of 'el centro', also didn't help River with the masses.

This is not to say that today River doesn't have a following with many of the masses, but still Boca remains the team which is the symbol of the common people. It has also become the prefered team of a majority of the poor immigrants, Bolivians, Paraguayans and others who come to Argentina. In fact Boca has been often derided by bigoted fans in racist terms for that reason. But it is part of the appeal that the team has for the poor and the working class.

It is a bit ironic now, considering that our president is Macri, but it is the way it is.

[FARFAN 17]

Originaly in most countries there are teams for the afluent, and teams for the poor, or at least for the less fortunate.

Boca originaly was for the less fortunate, and River was for the higher-class. River got their nick-name "Millonarios" from this. But things change over time like in most other places, and that social barrier is crumbling

[gremista]

Interesting comments from the Argentine posters. Good explanation of the socialogical component of River/Boca, or at least it jibes with how it was explained to me...not to threadjack but a related question

Why are there so few Velez fans? Outside of a velez game (which was always relatively well attended) I do not think I ever met one. River Boca S.Lorenzo, Independiente, Racing, sure. Hell I even new some fans of Argentinos, Talleres de Cordoba, Estudiantes but never Velez. Seems like a well run club and has had more than its share of success. Any thoughts?

[locoxriver]

I do not agree. Take a look at all the recaudaciones (tickets sold per game), and you will see that River has sold more tickets than Boca.

[vipnerd]

I do not agree. Take a look at all the recaudaciones (tickets sold per game), and you will see that River has sold more tickets than Boca.




70,000 people make it the most popular? :confused: Add the component of wealth described above, and the fact that Boca plays twice a week (local + int'l ;) ) ... plus the trips to Tokyo 3 times in the past 5 years (Tokyo is expensive you know? ) and the math adds. Not to mention the size of the stadiums themselves.


PS: Agree completely with ASF's comment.



.

[cordobesenUS]

I honestly don't think that Boca represents the underpriviledged anymore. They are the millonaires of argentine football. They even have their own TV channel, how many teams can say that? I'm a River fan. but I do think they are the most popular team in Argentina probably because of Diego Maradona and the fact that Boca fans are more loud than River Plate fans.

[locoxriver]

70,000 people make it the most popular? :confused: Add the component of wealth described above, and the fact that Boca plays twice a week (local + int'l ;) ) ... plus the trips to Tokyo 3 times in the past 5 years (Tokyo is expensive you know? ) and the math adds. Not to mention the size of the stadiums themselves.


PS: Agree completely with ASF's comment.



.
I am not saying one game. I am saying the last 10 years. River has been the team that has sold the most tickets in most of those ten years.

[Bill Schmidt]

I found that Boca was better managed as a business, more positioned to build its popularity. They have staff who speak foreign languages and a program to reserve tickets for overseas visitors. I was unable to talk to anyone at River, even in Spanish, about getting a ticket.

[viper]

I'm a River fan. but I do think they are the most popular team in Argentina probably because of Diego Maradona and the fact that Boca fans are more loud than River Plate fans.

Right! Boca is Diegos team and he's greatest player that has ever lived. Boca fans put on a tremendous show also. I remember when they played in Giants Stadium in a friendly (I forget who they played but I think it was an Italian team). There were many Boca fans over from Argentina for a friendly in a section behing the goal jumping and singing the whole game. Now that's commitment. I watch Boca often on Fox. I would love to one day go to the Bombonera and experience a boca game in person.

[argentine soccer fan]

Why are there so few Velez fans? Outside of a velez game (which was always relatively well attended) I do not think I ever met one. River Boca S.Lorenzo, Independiente, Racing, sure. Hell I even new some fans of Argentinos, Talleres de Cordoba, Estudiantes but never Velez. Seems like a well run club and has had more than its share of success. Any thoughts?

I don't know about Velez. They used to be a small team, except for a time in the early 70's when they had Bianchi playing for them. But they always had a nice stadium, and got pretty good crowds. And since the 90's they've been getting very good results.

I grew up in Caballito, a neighborhood in the heart of the Capital Federal. Among the kids in my area, Boca fans were the majority, followed by River. After that, Independiente, Racing, San Lorenzo. Of course Ferro had a good number of fans, being our neighborhood club from Caballito, but there were very few Velez fans. (Ferro has been traditionally a bitter rival of Velez).

But I lived a couple of years in Ramos Mejia, a suburb located a few miles outside the Capital and close to Liniers, and there were lots of Velez fans in that area. Velez stadium in Liniers is inside the Capital, but a bit out of the way from el centro, right on the western limit of the city. I think in the suburbs in the west side of the city you will find lots of Velez fans, but not too many in the Capital Federal.

[metrocorazon]

I am not saying one game. I am saying the last 10 years. River has been the team that has sold the most tickets in most of those ten years.
It doesnt take doctorates degree to realize that River's Stadium holds 10K-20K more people than Boca's. So even if both teams sell out their stadium for 20 years River will always come on top. It has nothing to do with popularity.

And Velez, while a "big" club in terms of being in Primera A, isn't even among the top 5 supported clubs in Argentina. I would probably say its barely top 10. You have to remember that unlike the US people don't choose their team. It chooses them when they either are born into it or live in the neighborhood. Most teams play for a suburb or neighborhood of the city, so most teams only have a 20 block radius to draw fans from. It doesn't matter if the team won 50 million cups, NO ONE follows a team there because they WON they follow them because its part of them and their neighborhood. Its the way it is in 99% of countries, really. But specially in Argentina because their cities are DENSE with teams.

So if let's say Velez wins Libertadores, you think people who arent from that neighborhood are going to all the sudden say "well they are playing good soccer so Ill support them".... F NO! Thats the way US fans think because sport teams here arent part of a community. They are corporations that provide "entertainment".

The only teams that usually break this mold is the ones with the BIG money like River and Boca in Argentina, Man U, Real, Chelsea, etc. Because they end up getting all the bandwagoners from places that dont have teams. Its really not the fans fault tho how the hell are they supposed to know about a team that plays for a 10 block radius in the outskirts of Buenos Aires? The only way is if you have money to buy players, tv, do a marketing campaign, etc.

Anyways, here's me list of top 5 supported clubs in Argentina:

1. Boca
2. River
3. Racing
4. Independiente
5. San Lorenzo

And I will probably throw in Argentinos, Central, Huracan, Belgrano(Chaca?) in before Velez.

[locoxriver]

It doesnt take doctorates degree to realize that River's Stadium holds 10K-20K more people than Boca's. So even if both teams sell out their stadium for 20 years River will always come on top. It has nothing to do with popularity.


I understand why you say that, but really it is not necessarily true. Take the Copa Libertadores 2004 semi-final as an example. It was between River Plate and Boca Juniors, but no away fans were allowed. With all it's significance (not only the "superclasico" but also the semi-finals of the most important cup in South America), Boca was not able to fill up there stadium. According to you, it holds 10,000-20,000 less people than River's, and still, there were over 10,000 empty seats in the stadium. Meanwhile for the second game of that leg, River sold all it's tickets and people were still complaining because they weren't able to get a ticket to see a match.