Racing Club de Avellaneda, officially known as Racing Club or shortened to just Racing, is an Argentine professional sports club based in Avellaneda, a city of the Buenos Aires Province. Founded in 1903, Racing has been historically considered one of the Big Five clubs of Argentine football, and is also known as El Primer Grande ("The First Great"), for becoming the first club in the world to win seven league titles in a row, first Argentine club to win a national cup, and the first world champion (Intercontinental Cup) Argentine club.[1][2] Racing currently plays in the Primera División, the top division of the Argentine league system, and plays its home games at Estadio Presidente Perón, nicknamed El Cilindro de Avellaneda ("The Cylinder of Avellaneda").
Racing has won the Primera División 18 times, with a record of seven consecutive championships between 1913 and 1919, five of which were won undefeated.[3] Not only does Racing hold the record for the most consecutive titles in Argentine football history, but it is also the only team in South America to achieve such a feat, along with being one of only four clubs (the others are Olympique de Lyon, Bayern Munich, and Juventus) to be a seven-time champion of world-cup winning nations.[4][3][5]
First seal of the club with the legend "Foot Ball Racing Club - Barracas al Sud" (1903)
The origins of the club can be traced to the end of the 19th century, when a group of Buenos Aires Great Southern Railway employees asked for permission to play football in a field belonging to the company. As the request was approved, they started to play their first matches there, mostly against teams formed by British immigrants.[11]
In 1898, they founded a club, "Argentinos Excelsior Club", which lasted three years until in 1901, three new clubs were established "Sud América Fútbol Club de Barracas al Sur", "American Club" and "Argentinos Unidos", with Barracas al Sur the most notable of them. Nevertheless, the club was soon disbanded, establishing "Colorados Unidos" on 16 March 1902. On 25 March 1903, both clubs met at Mercado de Hacienda with the purpose of merging again.[11]
The club took its name from a French auto racing magazine owned by Germán Vidaillac (a founding partner of French ancestry). The suggestion was well received and the name "Racing Club" was immediately approved.[12] Racing was the first football team integrally formed by criollo people.
The first jersey worn by the emerging club was white, until 25 July 1904, when it was decided a yellow and black vertical striped jersey would be used. Nevertheless, the recently adopted uniform only lasted a week due to its similarity to Uruguayan club CURCC, being replaced by a design proposed by president Luis Carbone. The jersey had four squares, two light blue and two pink. This light blue and pink design would be worn until 1908, once again replaced by a design with three horizontal bars (two blue and one white). Finally, Racing adopted the light blue and white colors in 1910, in commemoration of the May Revolution's 100th anniversary that same year.[11]
First years in football
Racing in 1910, when the squad promoted to Primera División
In 1909, Racing competed in a playoff to promote to Primera División, but lost to Gimnasia y Esgrima de Buenos Aires. Racing was finally promoted to the first division in 1910, winning the playoff final against Boca Juniors with an attendance of 4,000. The starting line-up that won the promotion was: Fernández; Seminario, Allan; Winne, Juan Ohaco, Angel Betular; Oyarzábal, A. Ohaco, Firpo, Frers and Juan Perinetti. Frers and Ohaco were the scorers for Racing.[13] The popularity of the club raised after that promotion, increasing its number of supporters.[11]
"The Academy" and the seven consecutive
The 1913 team that won four titles in a year, including its first Primera División championship
In 1911 Racing debuted in Primera División, finishing in fourth place.[14]
The first league title came in 1913 when Racing defeated San Isidro and River Plate in a playoff. Racing first eliminated River Plate (3–0), and then played the final against San Isidro, winning 2–0.[15]
In 1914, Racing won its second league title, having scored 42 goals and only 7 conceded in 12 games. The runner-up was Estudiantes (BA). That same year Racing won its second consecutive Copa Ibarguren, defeating another Rosarino team, Rosario Central, by 1–0 in Buenos Aires. The line-up for the match: Arduino; Reyes, S. Ochoa; Pepe, Olazar, Betular; Canavery, Ohaco, Marcovecchio, Juan Hospital, Juan Perinetti.[16]
The 1915 team achieved an outstanding mark of 95 goals in 24 matches
Racing became Primera División champion in 1915 when they defeated San Isidro 1–0 in a playoff at Independiente's stadium. Their line-up was: Arduino; Presta, Reyes; Betular, Olazar, Pepe; Canavery, Ohaco, Marcovecchio (who scored the only goal), Juan Hospital, Juan Perinetti. Racing finished unbeaten, with 22 games won and 2 drawn, with and 95 goals scored with only 5 conceded.[17]
Racing won the following title, the 1916 championship, totalizing 34 points in 21 games with 39 goals converted and 10 conceded at the end of the tournament. Platense was the runner-up with 30 points. The 5th consecutive title was in 1917 after totalizing 35 points, being River Plate the runner-up with 30 points. The team also scored a total of 58 goals with only 4 conceded in 20 fixtures. In addition, the squad achieved its third Copa Ibarguren with a smashing victory over Rosario Central by 6–0 in Avellaneda. The line-up was: Arduino; Ohaco, Reyes, Viazzi Olazar, Ricardo Pepe; Canavery, Vivaldi, Marcovecchio, Juan Hospital, Juan Perinetti.[16]
That same year Racing won another edition of Copa Ibarguren, defeating by 2nd. consecutive time Rosario Central by 3–2 at GEBA stadium. The line-up was: Crocce; Castagnola, Reyes; Vivaldi, Olazar, Pepe; Natalio Perinetti, Ohaco, Marcovecchio, Minondo, Juan Perinetti.[16]
One year later, Racing won its 6th. league title, remaining unbeaten after 19 games played, with 49 goals scored and 9 conceded. Racing also won another edition of Copa Ibarguren (5 in total) with a large victory over Newell's Old Boys by 4–0 at GEBA. The line-up: Crocce; Castagnola, Reyes; Ohaco, Marcovecchio, Macchiavello; Natalio Perinetti, Zabaleta, Vivaldo, Juan Hospital, Juan Perinetti.
In 1919 Racing moved to the dissident league "Asociación Amateurs de Football", winning the tournament whilst remaining unbeaten again. Racing played 23 fixtures, winning its 7th. consecutive title with 26 points and 43 goals scored.[18] They won further titles in 1921 and 1925.[19]
The 1930–1940s
Racing was one of the founding members as the first professional league in Argentina, Liga Argentina de Football, that split from the AFA to organise its own championships. During those years Racing won the Copa Beccar Varela in 1932 (defeating Boca Juniors 3–0 in the final) and the Copa de Competencia (LAF) one year later, thrashing San Lorenzo de Almagro 4–0 in the final match. Despite the national cups won, Racing could not win any domestic championship during that period; its best performances were third places in 1932, 1933 and 1936. Evaristo Barrera was the top scorer with 34 goals in 1934 and 32 in 1936.[20]
In 1945 Racing won the first edition of Copa de Competencia Británica defeating Boca Juniors by 4–1 in the final.[21] Despite its domestic cup achievements, Racing didn't win any league title until 1949, starting with another brilliant era of three consecutive championships.
Return to league titles
Racing squad that beat Banfield in 1951, winning their third consecutive league title
Racing won the championship three years running between 1949 and 1951.[19] In 1949 Racing finished with 49 points. Besides, two players of the club, Juan José Pizzuti and Llamil Simes, were the topscorers of the tournament with 26 goals each. In 1950, Simes was the topscorer of the time again. That same year, Racing inaugurated its new venue, Estadio Presidente Perón, the second largest stadium of Argentina. Racing won its third consecutive league title in 1951 after beating Banfield 1–0 in a two-leg series. The starting line-up was Héctor Grisetti; Higinio García, José M. Pérez; Juán Gimenez, Alberto Rastelli, Jorge Gutiérrez; Mario Boyé, Manuel Ameal, Rubén Bravo, Llamil Simes, Ezra Sued, with Guillermo Stábile as coach.
Racing could not achieve a four-consecutive title after in 1952 the team finished 2nd to River Plate. The next league title came in 1958, and they were runners-up to San Lorenzo de Almagro the following year.[19]
Players of Racing celebrating with the Intercontinental Cup after beating Celtic in Montevideo
Racing finished 4th in 1960 with a top scoring 72 goals. During this tournament Racing also achieved its largest victory in Primera División, an 11–3 against Rosario Central.[22]
In 1961 Racing won another league championship with manager Saúl Ongaro, while also being the highest scoring team in the league with 68 goals. The next year, Racing finished 9th and was also eliminated from the Copa Libertadores in the first stage. Racing won the Primera Division title again in 1966, scoring 70 goals.[23]
Gustavo Costas leading the Racing team that played the first leg vs Atlanta to promote to Primera División.
During the 1970s Racing did not win any titles, although the team finished 2nd to San Lorenzo in the 1972 Metropolitano, with 43 points in 34 matches. That year was the debut of Ubaldo Fillol, who some regard as the best Argentine goalkeeper ever. Fillol set a record of 6 penalty shots stopped in the same season. From 1974 and 1978 Racing made poor campaigns and was near relegation in 1976 when the team finished next to last (San Telmo was finally relegated).[27]
In 1983, Racing was relegated to the Primera B by finishing last in the aggregate table, which was determined by a points average of the previous two seasons. However, the relegation system was changed, and if it had not been changed, Racing probably wouldn't have been relegated. The old system had the two last-placed teams go down, and Racing finished 17th out of 19 that year. The first year in the second division, Racing finished second behind Deportivo Español and so had to play a promotion playoff, where Racing eliminated Deportivo Morón and Lanús but lost to Gimnasia y Esgrima (LP) in the finals (1–3 and 2–4).[28]
One year later, after two seasons in the second division, Racing returned to the top division for the 1986–87 season after winning a playoff for the second promotion place against Atlanta in December 1985. Racing won the first game 4–0 and the second match finished 1–1, with Racing winning the series 5–1 on aggregate.[29][30]
Return to international success
Racing players with the 1988 Supercopa title in Belo Horizonte, the first international title for the club after 21 years
Racing won its third international competition in 1988, when the team won the first edition of the 1988 Supercopa Libertadores, defeating Brazilian team Cruzeiro in the finals, with Alfio Basile still as coach. That same year Racing won the non-official Supercopa Interamericana beating Herediano from Costa Rica 3–0.[31] The following year, Racing played the inaugural edition of the Recopa Sudamericana in 1989 against the winners of the 1988 Copa Libertadores, Club Nacional. Nacional won the first leg in Montevideo 1–0; Racing wasn't able to turn the score around in the second leg in Buenos Aires, and the Uruguayan club won the title.
In 1992, Racing played the Supercopa Libertadores finals against Cruzeiro again. In the first match, Cruzeiro defeated them 4–0 in Belo Horizonte. Racing won the second match 1–0 but the cup was awarded to the Brazilian team with a 4–1 aggregate score.[32]
Racing came very close to winning the league title in the 90s; in the 1993 Apertura they finished third, tied with Velez and just one point from the champion, River Plate. In the 1995 Apertura they finished runner-ups.
Bankruptcy and resurrection
Racing players celebrating the 2014 championship at the Casa Rosada (Pink House) with the president CFK.
In July 1998, club president Daniel Lalín declared bankruptcy, leaving many supporters outraged. Lalin had been accused as the main reason for the club's debt because he spent large amounts of money on players, instead of bringing them up from the youth academy.[33] In March 1999, a top member of the club said Racing "had officially ceased to exist". However, with the massive support of the fans, they convinced the club to implement the Trust law, saving it from liquidation. In December 2000, the club was taken over by Blanquiceleste SA and was managed by the company until 2008.[34][35]
They won the league title in December 2001 for the first time in 35 years, and the title was celebrated at Estadio Jose Amalfitani, Vélez Sarsfield's home stadium, after the last fixture with them finished in a draw.[34]
In 2008, the club was almost relegated and had to play a promotion play-off against Belgrano. This was due to poor performances in the last 3 seasons, including a last-place finish in the 2008 Clausura. The first leg was played in Córdoba on 25 June and ended 1–1. In the second leg, Racing won 1–0 at home, and with a 2–1 aggregate score, was able to maintain its permanence in the top tier.[36]
In June 2014, Diego Cocca was hired as head coach.[38] Two days after Cocca signed his contract, former player and fan favorite Diego Milito left Inter Milan and returned to the club to play the 2014 Torneo de Transición.[39][40] In December 2014, Racing won its 17th Primera División title in the last fixture of the tournament. If Racing drew but River Plate won their match against Quilmes, then the title would've gone to River. However, the team defeated Godoy Cruz 1–0 to secure the 1st place and be crowned champions for the first time in 13 years.[41][42]
Racing Club plays its home games at "Estadio Presidente Perón" (named in honor of former President of Argentina Juan Domingo Perón), popularly known as "El Cilindro de Avellaneda" (due to its cylindrical shape) and "the Coliseum". It was opened in 1950 and restructured in 1997.[49]
The field measures 105 x 70 m. Racing's stadium is the second largest in Argentina after the River Plate stadium. In the beginning, the venue could host a capacity of 120,000 but subsequent restructurings reduced its capacity to 64,161.[50]
Panoramic view of the Racing Club stadium, August 2019
^Taveira, Fernando (30 June 2019). "Racing, el Primer Grande en serio". Infobae (in European Spanish). Archived from the original on 9 November 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
^"Campeón, campeón, campeón". Racing Club - Sitio Oficial (in Spanish). 14 December 2019. Archived from the original on 29 October 2021. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
^"¡Sooooomos campeones!". Racing Club - Sitio Oficial (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
^"¡Otra vuelta más!". Racing Club - Sitio Oficial (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 5 February 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
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