Metropolitano First Division. A note on relegation is in order: point average of the last two seasons determined the two relegated teams, according to relegation table. Racing Club and Nueva Chicago were at the bottom of this table and were relegated to the second division.
19 teams played in the top league at this time standard two-legged championship. After 38 rounds, the final table was a bit unusual – largely reflecting financial situation of some clubs.
Atletico Racing (Cordoba) was last with 27 points.
River Plate (Buenos Aires) – 18th with 29 points. Standing from left: Saporiti, Jorge García, Olarticoechea, Gallego, Puentedura, Nieto.
Crouching: Bica, Messina, Francescoli, Tapia, De Vicente.
Very lean and troublesome season for the mighty club – the squad reflects the problems, although a team featuring Francescoli, Olarticoechea, Gallego, and Tapia seemed able to perform stronger.
Racing Club (Avellaneda) – 17th with 30 points. Their lowly position was less surprising – the club was ailing ever since they conquered the world back in the 1960s, but this year they were relegated and that was shocking – one of the ‘big five’ was going to second division.
Rosario Central (Rosario) – 16th with 30 points. Very weak season, unusually weak. A season club and fans wanted to forget as quickly as possible.
Nueva Chicago (Buenos Aires) – 15th with 32 points. Standing from left: Erba, Loyarte, Traverso, Lucca, Larramendi.
First row: Galván, Bina, Acuña, Vera Benítez, Hermosilla Flores, Vega.
Actually, not a bad season for the smallish club – especially when their performance in the other championship is added – but they were relegated. Unfortunate.
Huracan (Buenos Aires) 14th with 32 points. Standing from left: Carlos Martínez, Christian Angeletti, Enrique Vidallé, Marcelo Bottari, Osvaldo Cortés, Jorge Romero.
First row: Claudio García, Rubén Carrá, Néstor Di Luca, Jorge J. Gutiérrez, Dante Sanabria.
Another big club down in the table. Disastrous season for traditional leaders.
Talleres (Cordoba) – 13th with 33 points. Not bad, when one looks who is behind them.
Temperley (Temperley) – 12th with 33 points. Looks rather insignificant place, but this was arguably one of the strongest seasons of the club – when the whole season is looked at.
Platense (Vicente Lopez) – 11th with 34 points. Standing from left: Sánchez Sotelo, Biasutto, Pavón, Ginanni, Scigliano, Roldán.
First row: Cabral, Magalhaes, Petti, Grimoldi, Anzarda.
Not bad at the first glance, but they were 17th in the relegation table. This season helped little and the next one seemed to be crucial – avoiding relegation was the only concern.
Instituto (Cordoba) – 10th with 35 points. Their usual… and nothing to brag about.
Newell’s Old Boys (Rosario) – 9th with 35 points. Modest season, but safe and much better than local rivals Rosario Central.
Argentinos Juniors (Buenos Aires) – 8th with 36 points. Their rise was explained mostly by the presence of Maradona – once he left, the normally modest club was expected to plummet down immediately. But so much was focused on the superstar, that the rest of the squad was overlooked – it was not bad and most amazingly the club managed to keep its decent players. And quietly a star was added too. So, they continued their rather good spell.
Boca Juniors (Buenos Aires) – 7th with 37 points. Standing from left: Mouzo, Ruggeri, Berta, Gatti, Mendoza, Córdoba.
Crouching: Gareca, Juan J. López, Jorge Domínguez, Pasucci, Alves.
Frankly, a disappointment. It may have been the leaving of Maradona, but still the squad was better than most – on paper.
Estudiantes (La Plata) – 6th with 38 points. If one takes only this championship – solid, but nothing special. If both championships are looked at – another story.
Union (Santa Fe) – 5th with 38 points. Strong season for them.
Velez Sarsfield (Buenos Aires) – 4th with 44 points. Standing from left: Bujedo, Moralejo, Jorge, Pumpido, Cuciuffo, Larraquy.
First row: Nannini, Bianchi, Norberto Alonso, Vanemerak, Comas.
Good season and no surprise, given the squad – Carlos Bianchi back from France and still the deadly scorer (2nd in the league with 22 goals), Norberto Alonso, and up and coming future world champions Pumpido and Cuciuffo.
Ferro Carril Oeste (Buenos Aires) – 3rd with 46 points. If only this season is looked at, may be surprising performance – the team hardly had any big names in its squad. But as modest as they were, these boys were one of the strongest ever squads of the club and enjoyed the strongest period in the club’s history. Third place was just great.
San Lorenzo de Almagro (Buenos Aires) missed the previous season, but came back with vengeance and almost won the championship. Second with 47 points at the end – one point behind the champions. Not a squad bursting with big names, but ambitious and promising. Well, big clubs cannot stay down for long.
By now the champions should be known to everybody – Independiente (Avellaneda) was not mentioned so far. It was not overwhelming victory – the team really had to fight for it, prvailing by a single point – but still it was the most deserving team. 16 wins, 16 ties, only 4 lost games, 54-38, and 48 points. Third ranking in number of victories, most ties in the league, and least losses – rather defensive approach. Four teams scored more goals than them, the defense was second best – but a distant second (Ferro Carril Oeste allowed only 27 goals in their net). Nothing outstanding, but the squad was food for thought: not just the most solid in the league, but also with a future – Bochini, Burruchaga, Calderon, Killer, Olguin, Clausen… add Villaverde and Percudani. It looked like a new great squad was almost ready and quite at par with the wonderful teams of the first half of the 1970s. No other club had similar squad at the moment and there was every reason to believe that Independiente will dominate Argentinian football in the next years. If they were able to keep their players and add a few more – which was quite questionable. But why worry yet – enjoy the fresh title.