Club Atlético River Plate

For other uses, see River Plate (disambiguation).

River Plate

Full name	Club Atlético River Plate
Nickname(s)	Los Millonarios (The Millionaires) El Campeón del Siglo (Champions of the Century) El Más Grande (The Greatest) La Banda (The Strip)
Founded	May 25, 1901
Ground	Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti, Belgrano, Buenos Aires (Capacity: 57,921)
President	Daniel Passarella
Manager	Matías Almeyda
League	Primera B Nacional
2011–12	2nd
Website	Club home page
Home colours Away colours
Current season

Club Atlético River Plate (pronounced: [ˈriveɾ ˈpleit], as in English) is a professional Argentine sports club based in the Núñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. Although many sports are practised at the club, River is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second division of the Argentine football league system.

River is one of the most successful football teams of Argentina, having won the Primera División a record 33 times; River's last domestic title was the 2008 Clausura. In addition, the club won five international titles, including two Copa Libertadores, one Intercontinental Cup, one Supercopa Sudamericana, and one Copa Interamericana. River's success in the 1990s had led IFFHS to name it ninth in its All-Time Club World Ranking (and first in the Americas). They are currently ranked 253rd. However, after the 2011 Clausura, River's poor form over the past three years forced them into a relegation/promotion play-off against Nacional B side Club Atlético Belgrano. Belgrano won the tie over two legs 3–1 on aggregate, relegating River to second tier football for the first time in club history.

The club was officially founded in 1901 and took its name from the common English name for the Río de la Plata. River has a fierce rivalry with Boca Juniors. Matches between them are known as Superclásico, and is amongst the most heated rivalries in the sport due to both teams' local and global popularity. River's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti, known simply as "El Monumental", which is the largest stadium in the country.

History

The beginning

Leopoldo Bard, founder and first president.

River Plate was founded on May 25, 1901, close to the La Boca neighborhood (later the home of fierce rivals Boca Juniors). The institution was formed since the merge of two clubs, "Santa Rosa" and "La Rosales", being elected Leopoldo Bard as its first president. The name was chosen because of a anecdote happened during the construction of Buenos Aires Port's: one of the members met had seen how the workers of Dique 3 left their duties for a while to play a football match. The boxes they were working with just said: "The River Plate", and that enigamatic inscription was taken to name the new club.

River Plate affiliated to Argentine Football Association in 1905 and debuted in the third division against Facultad de Medicina. The team played many matches (including one of its worst defeats ever at the hands of Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata: 1-10) before promoting to the second division.

Amateur era

1908-30

The team that achieved the promotion to first division in 1908.

River Plate remained in the second division from 1906 to 1908. On December 13, 1908, the team promoted to first division after beating Racing Club 2-1. However, the match was declared nulled due to River supporters had jumped into the field to celebrate with the players, so a new match had to be disputed, River winning again (7-0) and achieving its promotion.

River in 1920, the only championship won in Amateur era.

River debuted in the first division on May 2, 1909, against Argentino de Quilmes. Some highlights of that season was a 1-0 victory over legendary Alumni and another big defeat 1-10 against Belgrano Athletic.

River only won 1 title during the Amateur era in Argentine football, in 1920. River still had its stadium along the Riachuelo and the jersey in red, white and black vertical stripes. In 1923 River moved to Palermo neighborhood, over Avenida Alvear.

River's best campaigns in the rest of the amateurism were in 1921 and 1922, where the squad finished 2nd.

Professional era

1931-39: "Los Millonarios"

The 1932 team that won its first title in the professional era.

With the establishment of the professionalism in 1931, River Plate acquired right wing Carlos Peucelle in 1931 for $10,000 and Bernabé Ferreyra for $ 35,000 (a huge amounts of money in those years) in 1932. Because of that, River was nicknamed "Los Millonarios" ("The Millionaries"), which has remained since. Ferreyra was the top scorer with 43 goals. River and Independiente finished in the first position so both teams had to face in a new match in order to declare a champion. River defeated Independiente 3-0 obtaining its first professional title.

River would later obtained its second title in 1936, defeating San Lorenzo in the final game. The following year River won the title again, totalizing 58 points in 34 matches, having scored 106 goals and only receiving 43. José Manuel Moreno was the top scorer with 37 goals. Other notable players were Adolfo Pedernera, Renato Cesarini and José María Minella.

On May 25, 1938, the Estadio Monumental is officially opened, with a match between River and Peñarol, which River won 3-1.

1940s: "La Máquina"

The 1945 squad won another title for the club.

The decade of the 1940s is considered as one of the best eras in the history of the club, having won the titles of 1941 (44 points, 19 wins, 6 draws and 5 losses; 75 goals scored) and 1942 (46 points, 20-6-4, 79 goals). The team was also sub-champion in 1943 and 1944. River had a powerful offensive line formed by a group of skilled players was nicknamed "La Máquina" ("The Machine"). The forwards were Juan Carlos Muñoz, José Manuel Moreno, Adolfo Pedernera, Ángel Labruna and Félix Loustau. That offensive line became a legend so they only played 18 matches together. In 1945 River won another title, being Labruna the top scorer with 25 goals. Moreno had left the club but other players (such as center-midfielder Néstor Rossi) had arrived.

In 1947 River won a new championship with 48 points, totalizing 90 goals scored and only receiving 30. Some relevant players were goalkeeper Amadeo Carrizo and center-forward Alfredo Di Stéfano, which came from the youth categories. Distéfano was River top-scorer with 27 goals.

After a footballers strike in 1948 many footballers went to Colombia, "Pipo" Rossi and DiStefano were among them. River finished the 1948 and 1949 tournaments in the 2nd position.

1950s: The tri-championship

River went to a European tour in 1951 and the next year the team proclaimed champion. River totalized 40 points, with 17 matches won, 6 draws and 7 losses. That team was nicknamed "The Maquinita" ("The Little Machine") and had Labruna, Uruguayan Walter Gómez, Santiago Vernazza, Eliseo Prado, Lousteau and goalkeeper Carrizo as some of its most relevant players. In 1953 River won another title, with 60 goals scored and only receiving 36.

With the addition of "Pipo" Rossi (returned from Millonarios of Colombia), Federico Vairo (traded from Rosario Central) and the rise of Enrique Omar Sívori from the youth categories River won the 1955, 1956 and 1957 titles consecutively, becoming tri-champion for the first time in the history of the club.

After the 1957 South American Championship held in Lima, Peru, Sívori was acquired by Juventus F.C. paying $ 10 millions. That amount of money was used by the club to finish the Estadio Monumental grandstands.

After the demise of the Argentina national football team in the 1958 World Cup (where Labruna also played with #10) River would spend a long time without obtaining any title. On October 12, 1959, Angel Labruna retired from football at the age of 41. Labruna is still the all-time Argentine football top scorer (along with Independiente forward Arsenio Erico with 293 goals over 514 matches played. Moreover, Labruna was one of the greatest idols in River Plate's history.

The 1960s: a decade without titles

River could not win any championship during the 1960s, although the team had a bunch of talented players such as Ermindo Onega, José Ramos Delgado, scorer Luis Artime, Vladislao Cap and Oscar Más. This is considered the worst club's age ever, which would last until 1975, totalizing 18 years with no titles for the club.

River's best position during those years was the 2nd place. In 1962 the team lost the title at the hands of arch-rival Boca Juniors, with the famous penalty-shot stopped by Antonio Roma to Delem. Another chance lost was in 1968 when Vélez Sársfield finally got the championship in a mini-tournament organised in order to declare a champion (due to River, Vélez and Racing had finished in the first position at the end of the season). Another domestical title lost was the 1969 final against Chacarita Juniors, which beat River 4-2.

In 1966 River played the Copa Libertadores final against Uruguayan team Peñarol. River had finished the first half with a partial win of 2-0, but Peñarol scored two goals in the 2nd half so an extra time had to be played. Peñarol scored two goals more winning 4-2 and proclaiming new South American champion. The team's performance in that match originated the pejorative nickname "Gallinas" ("Chicken") which has been used by rivals to refer to River's players and supporters and has remained since.

1970s: Return to greatness

The 1975 team that won a title after 18 years.

In 1975 Angel Labruna became team's coach. Under his command, River could win a championship after 18 years without obtaining any title (in fact, River won two titles: 1975 Metropolitano and Nacional tournaments). Some of the most important players of that squad were goalkeeper Ubaldo Fillol, backs Roberto Perfumo and Daniel Passarella, midfielders Juan José López, Reinaldo Merlo and Norberto Alonso and strikers Carlos Morete and Oscar Más.

In 1976 River reached the Copa Libertadores finals, where had to play against brazilean team Cruzeiro. After two matches ended with a victory per team, a third game had to be played in Santiago, Chile, and Cruzeiro defeated River 3-2.

River also won the 1977 Metropolitano championship, with the same player structure than earlier years with the addition of striker Leopoldo Luque and left wing Oscar Ortiz. For the 1978 World Cup hosted in Argentina, River gave 5 players to the national team that would win the championship: Fillol, Luque, Passarella, Ortiz and Alonso.

In 1979 River achieved another tri-championship, when winning the 1979 Metropolitano and Nacional and the 1980 Metropolitano tournaments. Some notable players during those seasons were Fillol, Alberto Tarantini, Luque, Luque and Emilio Commisso.

Angel Labruna was not only River's all-time top scorer but he won 6 titles as coach of the first division team, which would be a record to date.

1980s: First Copa Libertadores

The 1981 champion team, coached by Alfredo Di Stéfano.

By 1981 Alfredo Di Stéfano replaced Labruna as the coach, Boca Juniors acquired Diego Maradona, which caused a huge impact in Argentine football. To mitigate the effects of such relevant event, River hired national team top scorer and superstar Mario Kempes, apart from other players such as defender Julio Olarticoechea and Américo Gallego. With the addition of those players and based on a strong defensive line and a effective offensive with Kempes and a youth Ramón Díaz, River became 1981 Torneo Nacional champion, defeating Ferro Carril Oeste in the finals with the same score in both matches: 1-0. Norberto Alonso, one of the greatest idols in the history of the club, did not take part of the first team because he had left behind by DiStefano.

In 1982 some of River players that had contributed to the recent championship, left the club: Alonso was traded to Vélez Sarsfield due to his conflicts with DiStefano and Kempes returned to Valencia CF. Moreover, Ramón Díaz and Daniel Passarella were sold to S.S.C. Napoli and Fiorentina respectively. River Plate was eliminated from the Copa Libertadores at the hands of Flamengo and Peñarol (which would be the champion). In 1983 Fillol left the club because of an economic conflict with the institution.

The team that won all the titles disputed in 1986.

With the sold of Alonso, River acquired Uruguayan midfielder Enzo Francescoli to replace him as playmaker. 1983 would be one of the worst in club's history, finishing 18th of 19. Rules indicated that the two teams that finished the season in the last position would be relegated to Primera B, but a restructure of the Argentine football league system introduced at the beginning of the season saved River to be promoted to the second division.

In 1984 Héctor Veira was hired as coach, being River the runner-up of the 1984 Torneo Nacional losing the final against Ferro Carril Oeste. In 1985 there was a restructure of the league system, and a new tournament was created, with a format similar to European system. River won the first tournament, the 1985-86, proclaiming champion six fixture before the end of the season. The team won 23 games, with 10 draws and only 3 losses. Enzo Francescoli was the top-scorer.

In 1986 River won its first Copa Libertadores, defeating América de Cali in the finals (2-1 in Cali and 1-0 in Buenos Aires). River achieved its second international title, obtaining the Intercontinental Cup against Steaua București, which beat 1-0 in Tokyo. The team would close its most successful era in club's history winning in 1987 the Copa Interamericana against L.D. Alajuelense. After Veira's depparture, River designed César Menotti as coach. Although River acquired a bunch of renowned players such as Ángel Comizzo, Omar Palma, Claudio Borghi, Abel Balbo, Jorge da Silva and Daniel Passarella (who had returned from Italy), the team did not make a good performance.

Decade of 1990s: the success continues

In 1990 Daniel Passarella is named coach, winning the 1989-90 tournament and reaching the Copa Libertadores semi-finals, being eliminated against Barcelona de Guayaquil. 1991 was the year which started the longest period of no victories against Boca Juniors: 13 matches. That year Ramón Díaz returned to the club, after his run on Europe, and River obtained the 1991 Apertura with Díaz as top scorer with 14 goals.

But Ramón Díaz emigrated again (this time to Yokohama Marinos) in 1993, nevertheless River won the 1993 Apertura with a team formed by youth promises such as Ariel Ortega, Marcelo Gallardo and Hernán Crespo.

In 1994 Enzo Francescoli returned to the club, winning another title that year with River Plate (the 1994 Apertura), along with Roberto Ayala and goalkeeper Germán Burgos (both acquired to Ferro) and being coached by former player Américo Gallego. River also remained unbeaten that season, for the first time in club's history.

After the brief Carlos Babington's run as coach, Ramón Díaz came to be his replacement in 1995. The following year River won its second Copa Libertadores, defeating América de Cali in the finals another time. América won the first game 1-0 but River overcome 2-0 in Buenos Aires, winning the Cup by goal average. Hernán Crespo scored the goals in the decissive match.

River would later win its second tri-championship, obtaining the 1996 Apertura and 1997 Clausura and the 1997 Apertura. Internationally, River won (also for the first time in club's history) the 1997 Supercopa Sudamericana defeating São Paulo in the finals.

In 1999 River won the last title under the coaching of Ramón Díaz, the Apertura tournament, with Javier Saviola as top-scorer with 15 goals. Saviola is also the youngest player debuted in River Plate, at the age of 16.

That same year, a special edition of the Argentine sports magazine "El Gráfico" named River Plate as "Champions Of The Century" ("Campeón Del Siglo"), noting the clubs achievements, especially their then 28 Argentine championships against Boca Juniors' 19 and Independiente's 13 (all figures as of 1999). And, the following year, in a FIFA sponsored poll, River were voted the best Argentine team of the 20th century.

Decade of 2000s: ups and downs

On May 25, 2001 River Plate celebrated its 100 years of existence with a march, called "Monumental Caravan" and a friendly match against Peñarol of Uruguay. This was a year without a title for River, being eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Libertadores against Cruz Azul of Mexico. That year were transferred Pablo Aimar and Javier Saviola to Valencia to Barcelona respectively.

In 2002, Ramón Díaz returned to replace Gallego, the return of Ortega and youthful figures as Andrés D'Alessandro and Fernando Cavenaghi, River Plate won the Clausura tournament, getting his seventh title to Ramón Díaz as coach of River, which included a 3:0 victory against Boca at the Bombonera. Ramón Díaz leaves River at the end of that year by differences between him and the President Jose Maria Aguilar.

In 2003 River won the Clausura tournament, led by Chilean Manuel Pellegrini and a team of players like Leonardo Astrada (who retired at the end of the tournament), D'Alessandro, Cavenaghi, Javier Mascherano and Martín Demichelis.

In 2004, with Leonardo Astrada as manager, achieved again the Clausura tournament, this was its thirty-second domestic championship. Return to the semi-finals of the Libertadores facing Boca Juniors. Losing 1:0 in the first math, where there were incidents between players from both clubs, and in the Monumental win 2:1 with goals from Luis Gonzalez and Cristian Nasuti and left out in the penalty shootout. After dispute of the America's Cup and Olympic Games in Athens (where Argentina would get his first gold medal in soccer with Mascherano and Lucho González on the roster), the team falls apart, being sold to Russian football Cavenaghi, Lucho González to Porto and Javier Mascherano to Corinthians in Brazil.

In 2008, Diego Simeone was appointed manager of the club, in his first season he led them to their first league title in four years, winning the Clausura championship. The following season the club suffered a poor run of form resulting in Simeone's resignation mid-season. The club went on to finish in last place in the Apertura 2008, the first time they had ever finished bottom of a league in 107 years.

Decade of 2010s: Starting all over

River in 2011, the year that the club was relegated to Primera B Nacional.

In 2011, River Plate was facing both an institutional and sports crisis. José María Aguilar left the presidency of the club with a debt of over 75 million dollars, being replaced by Daniel Passarella. The team ended the 2008 Apertura tournament at the bottom of the table, and River's poor form followed through the 2011 Clausura tournament. As a result, River played the "Promoción", a two-legged play-off against Belgrano de Córdoba, the fourth placed team of the 2010–11 Primera B Nacional. Belgrano won the first leg 2–0 at Córdoba, and held on for a 1–1 draw at El Monumental. With the defeat, River Plate was relegated to Nacional B for the first time in its history. The second match was interrupted during injury time by rioting in the stadium and its surroundings which continued after the match was called, despite a substantial police presence. Almost immediately following River's relegation, Juan José López resigned as manager.

Almeyda retired at the end of the Promoción to become team's coach, while Fernando Cavenaghi and Alejandro Domínguez returned to the club to play at the second division. In January, 2012, David Trezeguet and Leonardo Ponzio arrived to the club to play the second half of Nacional B starting February.

Kit

Manufacturers and sponsors

Period	Kit Manufacturer	Shirt Sponsors
1979–80	Sportlandia	none
1981–82	Olimpia
1982–85	Adidas
1985–89		Fate O
1989–91		Peugeot
1991–92		Carta Credencial
1992–95		Sanyo
1996-02		Quilmes
2002–06		Budweiser
2006–08		Petrobras
2009–10		Petrobras and Pokerstars.net
2010–12		Petrobras and Tramontina
2012–		BBVA Banco Francés

Rivalry

Main article: Superclásico

River Plate and Boca Juniors are the two largest football clubs in Argentina, with more than half the country's football fans supporting the clubs. Due to the rivalry between them, the Boca Juniors vs River Plate Superclásico local derby match was listed by the BBC as one of the most famous derbies in the world., and also as number one of the Fifty sporting things you must do before you die by The Observer newspaper.

Club nicknames

Sun screen at a sports betting house in Belgrade, Serbia, bearing a picture of River Plate players

The "River Plate" name was chosen in 1901, when the team was still located at the La Boca neighbourhood, next to the Río de la Plata ("River Plate" in some English sources). Proposed names as "Club Atlético Forward", "Juventud Boquense" or "La Rosales" had been rejected. Pedro Martínez saw the name "The River Plate" written at ship containers, and proposed it as a name, which was finally accepted as the official name.

River fans and the press are fond of the nickname Los Millonarios. This name derives from the 1930s after some expensive transfers of players from other clubs, including Carlos Peucelle from Sportivo Buenos Aires in 1931 and Bernabé Ferreyra from Tigre in 1932. Between 1979 and 1981, the River squad was reputed to be amongst the most expensive in the world.

The Lion emblem used between 1984–89

When Hugo Santilli become chairman in 1984, he soon called to a competition where a new emblem would be chosen. The main objective of this new image was to eradicate the nickname Gallinas (Chicken) that River's rivals (Boca Juniors fans mainly) used to mock them. Some of the most important artists from Argentina took part in that competition so the club finally chose a logo designed by the famous artist Caloi. This emblem showed the figure of a lion (wearing a River jersey) raising from the Monumental stadium. The lion logo was immediately added to the uniforms (on the field and training clothes) having River Plate won the Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup using the lion logo. In 1989, when Santilli left the club so the lion went with him and has not been reestablished since.

Due to the red band in their shirt, it is also common to refer to River as El Equipo de la Banda Roja (the team with the red band) or simply La Banda (which also means "the band" -both as in "gang" and "musical group"). Some famous River teams earned nicknames, notably La Máquina (the machine), the team that astonished Argentine football between 1941 and 1945.

In 1996 and 1997, during a run of title wins (three Argentine titles, one Copa Libertadores and one Supercopa), River were sometimes called La Maquinita ("The Little Machine") by the press. That team featured Francescoli and younger players such as Juan Pablo Sorín, Hernán Crespo, Ariel Ortega, Marcelo Salas and Marcelo Gallardo.

Stadium

Main article: Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti

El Monumental is River's home stadium in the Belgrano neighborhood of Buenos Aires. With a capacity of 65,645, the stadium was inaugurated on May 25, 1938. It is also used in matches by the Argentina national football team.

Players

Current squad

Current squad of Club Atlético River Plate as of February 21, 2012 (edit)
Sources: Official website

No. Position Player — ARG GK Leandro Chichizola — ARG GK Gonzalo Marinelli — ARG GK Gaspar Servio 1 ARG GK Daniel Vega — ARG DF Luciano Abecasis — ARG DF Carlos Arano — URU DF Juan Manuel Díaz — ARG DF Ramiro Funes Mori — ARG DF Leandro González Pirez — ARG DF Jonathan Maidana — ARG DF Germán Pezzella — ARG DF Luciano Vella — ARG MF Martín Aguirre — ECU MF Juan Cazares — ARG MF Ezequiel Cirigliano

No. Position Player — ARG MF Nicolás Domingo — ARG MF Santiago Gallucci Otero — VEN MF César González — ARG MF Cristian Ledesma 11 ARG MF Lucas Ocampos — ARG MF Leonardo Ponzio 8 URU MF Carlos Sánchez — ARG FW Gustavo Bou 9 ARG FW Fernando Cavenaghi 10 ARG MF Alejandro Domínguez — ARG FW Rogelio Funes Mori — ARG FW Andrés Ríos 17 FRA FW David Trezeguet — ARG FW Daniel Villalva

Manager: Matías Almeyda

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player - FW Gonzalo Abán (at Ferro) - MF Sebastián Sciorilli (at América Mineiro) - FW Gustavo Fernández (at Deportivo Saprissa) - DF Maximiliano Oliva (at Independiente Rivadavia) - MF Manuel Lanzini (at Fluminense) - MF Walter Acevedo (at Banfield)

No. Position Player - DF Maximiliano Coronel (at All Boys) - DF Alejandro Espinoza (at Atlético Tucumán) - DF Lucas Orban (at Tigre) - MF Facundo Affranchino (at San Martín de San Juan) - DF Adalberto Román (at Palmeiras) - MF Mauro Díaz (at Unión Española)

Top goalscorers

#	Player	Matches	Goals
1	Ángel Labruna	515	293
2	Oscar Más	382	198
3	Bernabé Ferreyra	185	187
4	José Manuel Moreno	320	180
5	Norberto Alonso	374	149
6	Enzo Francéscoli	197	136
7	Adolfo Pedernera	278	131
8	Carlos Peucelle	307	113
9	Carlos Manuel Morete	195	103
10	Félix Loustau	365	101

Most appearances

#	Player	Matches
1	Amadeo Carrizo	520
2	Ángel Labruna	515
3	Reinaldo Merlo	500
4	Juan José López	466
5	Norberto Yácono	393
6	Oscar Más	382
7	Norberto Alonso	374
8	Félix Loustau	367
9	Ubaldo Fillol	361
10	Ricardo Vaghi	323

Notable former players

Early days and La Máquina

• Adolfo Pedernera
• Omar Sívori
• Alfredo Di Stéfano
• Néstor Rossi
• Marius Hiller
• Leonardo Cilaurren
• Ricardo Vaghi
• José María Minella
• José Soriano

• Carlos Peucelle
• José Manuel Moreno
• Juan Carlos Muñoz
• Walter Gómez
• Renato Cesarini
• Ángel Labruna
• Félix Loustau
• Bernabé Ferreyra
• Norberto Yácono

La Maquina in 1941. From left: Juan Muñoz, José Moreno, Adolfo Pedernera, Angel Labruna and Félix Lousteau

1950s, 1960s and 1970s

• Luis Artime
• Federico Vairo
• Eladio Rojas
• Oscar Coll
• Amadeo Carrizo
• José Ramos
• Juan Carlos Sainz
• José Ramos Delgado
• Vladislao Cap
• José Varacka
• Ermindo Onega
• Daniel Onega
• Roberto Matosas
• Luís Alberto Cubilla
• Hugo Gatti
• Oscar Más

• Roberto Perfumo
• Norberto Alonso
• Juan José López
• Ubaldo Fillol
• Carlos Manuel Morete
• Alejandro Sabella
• Reinaldo Merlo
• Daniel Passarella
• Pablo Comelles
• Leopoldo Luque
• Ricardo Lazbal
• Óscar Ortiz
• Miguel Ángel Raimondo
• Héctor Artico
• Américo Gallego
• Emilio Commisso

Pedernera and Peucelle, El Gráfico magazine.

1980s

• Ramón Díaz (1975–82; 1991–93)
• Héctor Enrique (1980–90)
• Mario Kempes (1981–82)
• Antonio Alzamendi (1982–83; 1986–88)
• Enzo Francéscoli (1983–86; 1994–97)
• Jorge Borelli (1983–87)
• Nery Pumpido (1983–88)
• Sergio Goycochea (1983–88; 1993–94)
• Néstor Gorosito (1984–88)
• Pedro Troglio (1984–88)
• Claudio Caniggia (1985–88)
• Claudio Morresi (1985–88)
• Oscar Ruggeri (1985–88)
• Juan Gilberto Funes (1986–88)
• Abel Balbo (1988–89)
• Jorge Higuaín (1988–91)

López (right) formed a remembered midfield line along with Norberto Alonso (left) and Reinaldo Merlo (center) during the 1970s.

1990s

• Ángel Comizzo (1988–92; 2001–03)
• Ramón Medina Bello (1989–93; 1996–1997)
• Hernán Díaz (1989–99; 2000–01)
• Gabriel Batistuta (1989–90)
• Rubén da Silva (1989–91; 1992–93)
• Leonardo Astrada (1989–00; 2001–03)
• Sergio Berti (1990–92; 1993–95; 1996–99)
• Matías Almeyda (1991–96; 2009–11)
• Ariel Ortega (1991–96; 2000–02; 2006–08; 2009–11)
• Roberto Ayala (1993–95)
• Marcelo Gallardo (1993–99; 2003–06; 2009–10)
• Hernán Crespo (1993–96)
• Germán Burgos (1994–99)
• Celso Ayala (1995–98, 2000–05)
• Julio Ricardo Cruz (1996–97)

• Marcelo Salas (1996–98; 2003–05)
• Juan Pablo Sorín (1996–99)
• Santiago Solari (1996–99)
• Pablo Aimar (1996–00)
• Roberto Bonano (1996–01)
• Eduardo Berizzo (1996–99; 2000)
• Marcelo Escudero (1996–02)
• Diego Placente (1997–00)
• Roberto Trotta (1997; 1999–01)
• Martín Cardetti (1997–98; 1999–02)
• Juan Pablo Ángel (1997–00)
• Pedro Sarabia (1997–02)
• Nelson Cuevas (1998–03)
• Javier Saviola (1998–01)

2000s to date

• Mario Yepes (1999–02)
• Eduardo Coudet (1999–02; 2003–04)
• Andrés D'Alessandro (2000–03)
• Esteban Cambiasso (2001–02)
• Martín Demichelis (2001–03)
• Ricardo Ismael Rojas (2001–06)
• Germán Lux (2001–06)
• Alejandro Dominguez (2001–04; 2011-)
• Fernando Cavenaghi (2001–04; 2011-)
• Lucho González (2002–05)

• Javier Mascherano (2003–05)
• Gonzalo Higuaín (2004–06)
• Juan Pablo Carrizo (2005–08; 2010–11)
• Radamel Falcao (2005–09)
• Sebastián Abreu (2008–09)
• Alexis Sánchez (2007–08)
• Diego Buonanotte (2006–11)
• Erik Lamela (2009–11)
• David Trezeguet (2012-)

Players gallery

• 

  Carlos Peucelle, was a notable forward, playing 10 years for River Plate.

• 

  Bernabé Ferreyra was an implacable scorer: 187 goals in 185 matches.

• 

  Norberto Yácono made 393 appeareances, playing 16 consecutive years.

• 

  Ángel Labruna is the all-time top scorer of Argentine football, with 293 goals.

• 

  José Manuel Moreno is considered one of the best River's players ever.

• 

  uruguayan striker Walter Gómez, a notable player of the 1950s.

• 

  Alfredo Di Stéfano played for River before his outstanding career in Spain.

• 

  Amadeo Carrizo, whose style revolutioned the goalkeeper position.

• 

  Ermindo Onega, maybe the most notable player in the 1960's.

• 

  Ubaldo Fillol was an extraordinary goalkeeper also for Argentina national team.

• 

  J.J. López, 424 appeareances and 11 titles won with River.

• 

  Norberto Alonso, one of the greatest idols of all-time.

• 

  Daniel Passarella played 258 games for River Plate, then became club's coach and chairman.

• 

  Enzo Francescoli won seven titles with River Plate.

Notable managers

See also List of Club Atlético River Plate managers

The following managers have all won at least one championship or, in the case of Reinaldo Merlo, coached many games in a championship that was ultimately won.

Name	Period	Trophies									Total
		Domestic					International
		CA	MT	NC	AP	CL	CL	SC	CIA	CI
Victor Caamaño	1931–33	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
Imre (Emérico) Hirschl	1934–38, 1961	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2
Renato Cesarini	1939–44, 1965	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2
José María Minella	1945–59, 1963	7	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7
Ángel Labruna	1968–70, 1975–81	0	4	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	6
Alfredo Di Stéfano	1981–82	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
Héctor Veira	1984–87	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	3
Carlos Griguol	1987–88	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1
Reinaldo Merlo	1989, 2005	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Daniel Passarella	1990–94, 2006–07	1	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	3
Américo Gallego	1994, 2000–01	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	2
Ramón Díaz	1995–99, 2001–02	0	0	0	3	2	1	1	0	0	7
Manuel Pellegrini	2002–03	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1
Leonardo Astrada	2004–05, 2009–10	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1
Diego Simeone	2008	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1

Honors

National

Amateur era

• Second División (1): 1908
• Primera División (1): 1920

Professional era

• Primera División (33): 1932, 1936, 1937, 1941, 1942, 1945, 1947, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1975 Metropolitano, 1975 Nacional, 1977 Metropolitano, 1979 Metropolitano, 1979 Nacional, 1980 Metropolitano, 1981 Nacional, 1985–86, 1989–90, 1991 Apertura, 1993 Apertura, 1994 Apertura, 1996 Apertura, 1997 Apertura, 1997 Clausura, 1999 Apertura, 2000 Clausura, 2002 Clausura, 2003 Clausura, 2004 Clausura, 2008 Clausura

International

Continental Cups

• Copa Libertadores (2): 1986, 1996
• Supercopa Sudamericana (1): 1997

Intercontinental Cups

• Intercontinental Cup (1): 1986
• Copa Interamericana (1): 1987

Other unofficial titles

• Copa Río de La Plata (6): 1936, 1937, 1941, 1945, 1947, 1955
• Copa de Competencia Jockey Club (1): 1914
• Cup Tie Competition (1): 1914
• Copa de Competencia (1): 1932
• Copa de Oro (1): 1936
• Copa Dr. Carlos Ibarguren (4): 1937, 1941, 1942, 1952 (shared)
• Copa Adrián C. Escobar (1): 1941
• Copa San Martín de Tours (10): 1965, 1971, 1972, 1977, 1978, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1993, 1996
• Liguilla Pre-Libertadores (5): 1969, 1976, 1989, 1992, 1999
• Trofeo Día de los Museos Municipales (1): 1990
• Copa Estado de Israel (1): 2008

Other sports

River Plate also has a basketball team playing in the amateur Buenos Aires league. It played 10 seasons in the Liga Nacional de Básquetbol between 1985–1993 and 2004–06, reaching the finals in 1988 and obtaining 2nd place in 2004 and 2005 editions of Copa Argentina, but in July 2006 the club got expelled by the League because of a debt in player's salaries. River Plate also has professional male and female volleyball teams in regional and national competitions, male and female handball teams among the best in regional and national competitions and a female field hockey team that made its debut in Buenos Aires' top division in 2007.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• List of football clubs in Argentina

External links

• Official website (Spanish)
• River Plate results and Statistics at RSSSF