Fire and Flames

Today, Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata needs to defeat Atletico de Rafaela in the return leg of their relegation series by at least 3 goals in order to avoid relegation to second division. Because of the very strong friendship between Gimnasia and Racing, I am hoping that the pre-game preview superstition works in this case as well as it has the last three Racing games. The game is at 18:30 and can be watched on rojadirecta.com

Friendships between fans, barras, or clubs are very rare the world over, and especially so in Argentina…where all fans basically hate all other fans, regardless of whether they are even in the same division or have ever played against each other. „Amistades“ (friendships) between barras often come and go, but have a distinct tendency to end badly.

One of the most notable exceptions to this rule is the friendship between the barras and fans of Gimnasia de La Plata and Racing Club. Forged during the Libertadores matches between Racing and Estudiantes (bitter rivals of Gimnasia) in the late 60s when Gimnasia fans went to support Racing, the friendship became even stronger in the early 80s, when both clubs were playing in second division.

Since then, every game between the two teams is marked by chants of „El Lobo y La Academia Unidos Siempre Estan,“ banners with both teams` colors, and often even people with the opposite jersey in the popular/terrace of the other. It is also not uncommon for Racing fans to go with Racing jerseys on to the Gimnasia terrace when Gimnasia plays against Independiente, Boca, or generally important games (and vice-versa).

(In Racing, I dont even know which „popular“/terrace this is, it being such a mix of Racing and Gimnasia banners, as well as those stolen from Independiente and Estudiantes).

In 1999, Racing was declared bankrupt and a judge declared that „Racing Club has ceased to exist,“ (a time of Racings history which we will soon be discussing) and the fans of Gimnasia turned out massively to support Racing during that time of filling the stadium despite not playing any games and numerous demonstrations and battles, even turning up at one demonstration with somewhere between 500 and 1000 Gimnasia fans (and let it be noted…La Plata is about one hour from Buenos Aires).

EL LOBO Y LA ACADEMIA UNIDOS SIEMPRE ESTAN….EN LAS BUENAS, Y EN LAS MALAS MUCHO MAS
EL LOBO NO SE VA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!