06 September 2015
The inaugural UNESCO Cup at Juventus Stadium in 2014 was contested by the legends of two of Europe’s most celebrated and best-supported clubs, Juventus and Real Madrid.
This time around, the Bianconeri will be joined by South American giants Boca Juniors, a club with claims to being one of the most decorated sides in world football.
Over a century of success
Founded in 1905 by six Genovese immigrants, Esteban Baglietto, Alfredo Scarpatti, Santiago Sana, the Teodoro brothers and Juan Antonio Farenga, acquiring the nickname of Los Xeneizes in the process, few clubs have enjoyed the sustained success and obtained the same prestige as the Buenos Aires-based outfit.
Boca’s trademark blue and yellow colours, inspired by the flag of the first ship to enter the city’s harbour on the day of the club’s founding (which happened to be Swedish), have became a symbol of Argentinian football and just like the black and white of Juventus is immediately recognisable around the world.
Hailing from the Boca region of the country’s capital, the club have since gone on to win over 40 domestic honours and are still the only Argentinian club to have never been relegated.
But it is in overseas competitions that the Azul y Oro have staked their claim as one of the world’s very best, winning 22 international titles, including six Copa Libertadores, the most recent coming in 2007, and three Club World Cups in 1977, 2000 and 2003.
La Bombonera
Matching los Xeneizes’ prestigious past is the club’s iconic stadium. The 49,000 seater Estadio Alberto J.Armando, widely known as La Bombonera (meaning sweet tin) for its peculiar shape and proximity to the pitch, has been Boca’s home since 28 May 1940.
Legends
In keeping with Argentina’s passion and tradition for exciting and spontaneous forwards, to read the list of players to have represented Boca in its illustrious 110 year history is to understand the strength of its legacy in producing talented footballers, especially in the final third.
Great number tens Diego Maradona, Juan Roman Riquelme and prolific scorers Claudio Caniggia, Martin Palermo and Carlos Tevez all began their careers at the Bombonera, earning acclaim in both South America and Europe as among the most gifted attacking players of their generations.
In two separate spells, striker Palermo netted 236 times for Boca, making him the highest goalscorer in the club’s history. Further down the pitch, in recent times midfielder Roberto Battaglia and goalkeeper Roberto Abbondanzieri have also obtained legendary status among the Bombonera faithful for their longevity and loyalty to the Azul y Oro.
As the Legends of Boca take to the field on Tuesday 8 September, there could be no better side to join the Bianconeri in their celebration of the Juventus Stadium’s fourth anniversary. The meeting between two stalwarts of the global game is an event that is not to be missed.
