Estudiantes de La Plata

Estudiantes de La Plata is a sports club in La Plata, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, with a history of achievement in professional football.

History

The club was founded on 4 August 1905 by university students who felt left out by the management of Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata, which favored indoor games over football. Its jersey had red and white vertical stripes honoring the Alumni team that dominated Argentine football in those years, with black pants and gray or black socks. In the early days, the team wore a blue blazer on top of the jersey when entering the pitch.

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The stadium on 1st Avenue opened on 25 December 1907 (it has undergone several rounds of upgrading). Before the advent of professionalism, Estudiantes won the 1913 league title.

Related Topics:
25 December - 1907 - 1913

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When professionalism was adopted in Argentina on 1931, Estudiantes had a famous offensive lineup: Lauri-Scopelli-Zozaya-Ferreyra-Guayta, known as Los Profesores (The Professors), and still regarded as one of Argentina's all-time finest. Guayta and Scopelli played for the Italy national team that conquered the 1934 World Cup. The Sbarra brothers (Raúl and Roberto) and Armando Nery were feared defensive players. Alberto Zozaya scored the first goal of professional football in Argentina and was the top goalscorer of the first professional tournament.

Related Topics:
1931 - Italy - 1934 World Cup

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In 1937, a pioneering lighting system was installed, allowing night games.

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The 1950s saw the rise of Ogando, Garcerón, Bouché, Urriolabeitia, Infante, Antonio, and striker Pellegrina.

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In the 1960s, Miguel Ignomiriello coached the under-19 team known as La Tercera que Mata (The Killer Juveniles), which became the basis, together with a few acquisitions, of the team coached by Osvaldo Zubeldía that won the 1967 Metropolitano championship (Starting in 1967, Argentina holds two championships each season).

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Thus, Estudiantes became the first club outside of the "five greats" (Boca Juniors, River Plate, Racing Club, Independiente, and San Lorenzo) to obtain professional titles. This opened the door to other "small" clubs, starting with Chacarita Juniors and Vélez Sarsfield.

Related Topics:
River Plate - Racing Club - Independiente - San Lorenzo - Chacarita Juniors - Vélez Sarsfield

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Estudiantes went on to secure the Copa Libertadores de América for three times in a row (1968 to 1970), and the 1968 Intercontinental Cup against the powerful Manchester United. It lost the series against A.C. Milan (1969) and Feyenoord (1970). In 1969 the club also won the Interamerican Cup.

Related Topics:
Copa Libertadores de América - 1968 - 1970 - Intercontinental Cup - Manchester United - A.C. Milan - 1969 - Feyenoord - Interamerican Cup

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The last part of the Zubeldía era was marred by the antics of some players. Following a very violent Intercontinental match against Milan, the entire team was arrested on orders from Argentine President Juan Carlos Onganía; in an unprecedented step, goalkeeper Poletti was suspended for life (he was later pardoned), and hatchet-man Aguirre Suárez was also singled out for punishment. Because of several such events, it became a cliché to refer to Zubeldía's football as el antifútbol.

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The Zubeldía team was maybe the only successful professional side ever to count two physicians among its stars: captain Carlos Salvador Bilardo and teammate Raúl Madero graduated from the University of Buenos Aires Faculty of Medicine during their playing days.

Related Topics:
Carlos Salvador Bilardo - University of Buenos Aires - Medicine

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Juan Ramón Verón was the most gifted player on that team. He profited from the no-nonsense playing of Conigliaro, Echecopar, and Madero, and the tactical guidance provided by Bilardo. Right-back Manera was a very talented player, but suffered from repeated injuries and did not realize his full potential.

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After graduation, Bilardo retired from play and got involved in his family's furniture business. Soon he started to coach, alternating between Estudiantes and Colombian teams. He coached Estudiantes in 1982, when the team won the Metropolitano championship. Under his successor Eduardo Luján Manera, also a member of the Zubeldía team, Estudiantes won the 1983 Nacional tournament as well. Both wins were at the expense of a star-studded Independiente.

Related Topics:
Colombia - 1982 - Eduardo Luján Manera - 1983

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Those championship teams were anchored by a solid defense (Camino on the right and Herrera on the left were also fearsome attackers, and Brown provided security as a sweeper), and also had three creative mid-fielders (Ponce, Sabella, Trobbiani, with Russo to guard their backs) and two top-notch strikers (Gottardi, Trama).

Related Topics:
Trobbiani - Russo

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Bilardo went on to coach the Argentine national team that won the 1986 World Cup (the captain of the 1982 champions, José Luis Brown, scored the opening goal in the final against West Germany). The national team also reached the final of the 1990 edition. Madero was team physician on both events.

Related Topics:
Argentine national team - 1986 - World Cup - West Germany - 1990

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Estudiantes was relegated in 1994, only to return to the top division on the very next season. Its performances ever since have been uneven; the club became more known as the breeding ground for such players as Juan Sebastián Verón, Martín Palermo, Luciano Galletti, Bernardo Romeo, and Ernesto Farias.

Related Topics:
1994 - Juan Sebastián Verón - Martín Palermo - Luciano Galletti - Bernardo Romeo - Ernesto Farias

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In 2004-2005, under coach Reinaldo Merlo, Estudiantes became a contender again, finishing both the Apertura and the Clausura tournaments in the fourth place. Mariano Pavone was top goalscorer of the 2005 Clausura.

Related Topics:
2004 - 2005 - Reinaldo Merlo - Mariano Pavone

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On 17 April 2005, Estudiantes de La Plata became the sixth team in Argentina to win 1,000 professional games when it came back from behind to defeat Newell's Old Boys 3-2.

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Merlo resigned on August 2005, following the centennial celebrations, and was promptly replaced with Bilardo alum Jorge Burruchaga who was fresh from a successful tenure with Arsenal de Sarandí.

Related Topics:
Jorge Burruchaga - Arsenal de Sarandí

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