The League of Shame

Argentine football is a joke. Period. The wonderful game that football once used to be is now marred by a mix of rigged fixtures, paid referees and violence from barras bravas. It no longer matters who wins the League. The latest development in this ongoing scandal took place last night when Gimnasia LP hosted Boca Juniors to complete the match suspended some weeks ago (Boca trailed Gimnasia LP 1-0 after the first half). The remainder was divided in two halves of 22 minutes each and right from the beginning there was the feeling of something strange. An outrageous penalty decision was given to Boca Juniors in the first minute. Boca levelled the match and went ahead just a few minutes later. Journalists were commenting on the evident lack of effort from Gimnasia players who looked as if they didn't care. Had Gimnasia went on to win the match they would have granted their biggest rival Estudiantes LP a wonderful opportunity to challenge for the title. In the end, Boca turned the match around by winning 4-1 (yes, four goals in 45 mins!). Amidst rumours of incentive money bein paid to Gimnasia players in exchange for losing the match, there were news about a serious threat made by Gimnasia barras to the players if they won the match. The players admitted to have been threatened but the match was played anyway. Boca stays top of the league 4 points clear but there is a feeling of uneasiness all around the football world. More developments will follow from this and a suspension of the League is likely. Shameful and disgusting.

The official shirts

These are our official shirts. The main shirt is all light blue. I just love the color of this shirt and I think it looks very nice on a football pitch. The alternative shirt is black with light blue (or cyan) details. The current sponsor is Lotto but talks are being held with other sponsors at the moment. Dont they look nice? Yes, they do. And when you put on one of these, you become one of the Pirates.

If you like them and would like to have your own official Belgrano shirt, go to Planeta Activo (in Spanish but they ship internationally). They stock a large range of footie products and of course Belgrano official merchandise.

Why in English?

A brief note about the election of the language. It may seem a bit odd to find a blog supporting an Argentine club written in English. My intention is to post in English most of the time, although eventually I may post links or articles written in Spanish. Two reasons are behind my decision to post in English. First, I would like to introduce and make known the club I support to an international community. Second, I wanted to if not innovate at least be original in the way I support my club. Having said this, I will naturally accept comments and other posts (and suggestions) in both English and Spanish. You know as they say, footy vanishes cultural barriers. So we may hope for a strong supporting to our club, whether in English, Spanish or Esperanto.

Welcome

This blog is dedicated to my beloved team: Club Atletico Belgrano, or CAB, or simply, Belgrano. Belgrano is a club from Cordoba, Argentina whose existence dates back to 1905. The club supports a diverse range of disciplines although football has been almost exclusively its main activity. Belgrano has undoubtedly the largest fan base in Cordoba and one of the largest in Argentina. The supporters are usually known as Los Piratas (The Pirates) or Los Celestes. The name of the blog (which translated into English would make something like The Pirate Ship) makes reference to the previous name and is often recalled when the team goes out to the football pitch to play. Throughout a century-long history, the club has had its ups and downs. In the last few years, however the club has been going through a new process which has seen its fortune improve both on and off the pitch. Wait a minute...You may think this is the same old story with all clubs in the world so why you should even bother to become a supporter let alone read about Belgrano? Because of this: our mystic. In due time I will tell stories here that will surprise you. I will let you feel that mystic. You will see how many times we were battered, dead and buried and yet we managed to come out on top and grow stronger. This would not have been possible without the extraordinary and marvelous dedication of every single one of us: Los Piratas. This is why Belgrano is different. The mystic is intact and growing ever stronger. Let me share the past, present and future of this fantastic club with all of you.