Privileges of the elite

The Argentine Football Federation has a habit of controlling the game in favour of the biggest clubs or those of the Buenos Aires area. When Boca lost a championship in the 1991 grand final (between the winners of the Apertura and Clausura) the rules were changed so that there would always be two separate champions each year, and the big teams would never have to fear a one-off game.

There may be two champions every season but there are never two relegations, as River Plate would hate to be reminded after finishing last in the 2008-2009 Apertura. Of course the rules governing relegation are one of the most controversial aspects of league football in Argentina – in 1983 the AFA changed the laws controlling relegation from the first division in order to base the demotion on the average result of three years’ worth of statistics. The first beneficiaries of this rule change were River Plate, who would have been relegated that very season but escaped the usual punishment for their poor football.

Recently-promoted teams may stay up one year but they will be hard pushed to accumulate the necessary statistics to continue at the top flight. Conversely, if any of the big teams should have a bad year, they know their pedigree and elite position in Argentine football will always protect them from the drop.

Since that change in the rules none of The Big Five – Boca, River, Independiente, San Lorenzo or Racing – have ever been relegated, in spite of nine relegation finishes between them in the Clausura. (Racing controversially did go down in 1983, but it was essentially because AFA president Julio Grondona was a founding member of Racing’s most hated rivals, Arsenal de Sarandí.)

The Premier League has proposed play-offs for the fourth Champions’ League place. The only possible result if this suggestion became reality would be The Big Four retaining their elite positions forever more. Even if any of the teams had a bad season, like Liverpool this year, they would always be sure of a second chance to stay at the top. If the seventh-placed team had the temerity to beat one of TBF earlier in the season, they would be punished at the end.

When the teams at the bottom don’t cut it the first time around they aren’t given a second chance – why should the teams at the top be treated any differently?