2006 Torneo Apertura Final
 Estudiantes de La Plata, champions | |||||||
| Event | 2006 Torneo Apertura | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Date | 13 December 2006 | ||||||
| Venue | José Amalfitani Stadium, Buenos Aires | ||||||
| Referee | Sergio Pezzotta | ||||||
The 2006 Torneo Apertura final was the tiebreaker match to define the 2006 Torneo Apertura of Argentine Primera División. It was played between Estudiantes de La Plata and Boca Juniors after both teams finished tied on points at the end of the season.[1][2]
It was the 6th. league final contested by Boca Juniors after 1923 (won a four-matches series v Huracán[3]) and 1929 (lost v Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata),[4][5] 1970, 1976, and 1990–91.
On the other hand, this was the 4th. league final played by Estudiantes, after the 1967, 1968, and 1983 finals, all of them won by team from La Plata.
The match was held in the José Amalfitani Stadium, home venue of C.A. Vélez Sarsfield. Estudiantes de La Plata won their 5th. league title after defeating Boca Juniors 2–1.[1]
Qualified teams
[edit]| Team | Previous finals app. |
|---|---|
| Estudiantes (LP) | 1967, 1968, 1983 |
| Boca Juniors | 1923, 1929, 1970, 1976, 1990–91 |
Bold indicates winning years
Venue
[edit]| Buenos Aires |
| José Amalfitani Stadium |
| Capacity: 49,540 |
|
Background
[edit]Boca Juniors had won the two previous league championships under the coaching of Alfio Basile (one of the most successful tenures of a manager in the club, having won five titles within one year and a half).[6][7] Besides, some notable players such as Roberto Abbondanzieri and Federico Insúa had left the club after the 2006 FIFA World Cup.[8] Boca Juniors had a great start in the 2006 Apertura, winning their first five matches (including an outstanding win over San Lorenzo 7–0 at Nuevo Gasómetro[9]). Nevertheless, Basile left the club after that match, following a call from the AFA which requested him to become manager of the Argentina national team. Therefore, Basile started his second tenure on Argentina.[10] To replace him, Boca Juniors hired Ricardo La Volpe,[11] who debuted in the 7th. fixture.[8] La Volpe had managed several Mexican clubs, and even the Mexico national team.[12]
On the other hand, Estudiantes had started the tournament with some bad results, but the team coached by Diego Simeone and captained by idol Juan Sebastián Verón (who had returned to the club in June),[13][14] recovered and started from the 8th. fixture, achieved 10 consecutive victories (including wins over three of the "big five" (Independiente, San Lorenzo, and River Plate) and an overwhelming 7–0 over arch-rival Gimnasia y Esgrima).[15]
With only two fixtures remaining, Boca Juniors leaded the 2006 Apertura and only needed to earn one point (out of six) to win their ....th. league title. Nevertheless, Boca Juniors lost the remaining matches (0–1 vs Belgrano and 1–2 vs Lanús).[1][6] Estudiantes' last results (a 2–2 draw with Argentinos Juniors and a 2–0 win over Arsenal de Sarandí) caused both teams finished equalled on points (44) at the end of the tournament.[1][16]
Championship rules stated that a tiebreaker match had to be held in order to decide a champion. The match was scheduled to be played only 48 hours after the end of the season.[16]
Match
[edit]
Boca Juniors took a quick advantage when Guillermo Barros Schelotto started the play and Pablo Ledesma assisted striker Martín Palermo for the first goal of the match. Before the end of the first half, referee Sergio Pezzotta sent off Pablo Álvarez and Ledesma, after a fight. In the second half, Estudiantes showed its superiority over Boca Juniors, which players retreated on the field in search of fighting back, although those few attempts were unsuccessful.[16]
At 19', Estudiantes tied the score through a spectacular free kick by José Sosa that took Paraguayan goalkeeper Aldo Bobadilla by surprise. And 16' later, Mariano Pavone ran for the ball between two Boca Juniors defenders who could not stop him, scoring the second goal for the Pincha. After that, Estudiantes had other chances to score again in front of a rival with a weak state of mind.[16]
Details
[edit]| Estudiantes (LP) | 2–1 | Boca Juniors |
|---|---|---|
Sosa  65'Pavone 81' |
Report | Palermo 5' |
         Estudiantes (LP)
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     Boca Juniors
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Aftermath
[edit]
La Volpe (who had stated "if I lose this championship, I should leave" shortly before the championship ended) resigned as coach of Boca Juniors after the hard defeat. His brief tenure on Boca Juniors was a failure,[6][17] considering the high possibilities of winning the title that had the team.[18] by Boca Juniors supporters.[16]
La Volpe only lasted three months in Boca Juniors, with 10 wins, 2 draws, and 5 losses.[18] His tenure included controversies with both, the supporters and some of the most experienced players of the club.[19]
In an interview given in 2016, La Volpe also blamed some players stating that they "left me very alone". He also told that "Guillermo (Barros Schelotto) did not get along with (Marcelo) Delgado", and highlighted the lack of leadership in the group of players. "A true leader brings the team together instead of dividing it". La Volpe also requested the interviewer to ask Martín Palermo what had happened in the match vs. Lanús.[20]
In another interview in May 2022, La Volpe said that the final lost to Estudiantes de La Plata "left a bad taste in my mouth", showing he still felt frustrated after 16 years.[21] La Volpe performed a self-criticism in 2023, blaming himself for the failure. He stated "...I think I was very stupid and I blame what I did in Boca. I came from a Mexican football where they already knew who La Volpe was and they listened to me. In Boca, players gestured when I talked to them".[17]
One year later, La Volpe went further and said in an interview: "I felt like they (Boca Juniors players) looked down on me, but I wasn't going to fight back because on top of that, someone could beat me up. They talked down to me and called me "little Mexican". He also added "I was missing someone on my coaching staff who knew how to deal with those players".[22]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Argentina 2006-07 by Juan Pablo Andrés at RSSSF.com
- ^ Boca Juniors 2 - Rosario Central 1, match chronicle on Historia de Boca
- ^ ¡A 99 años del Boca Juniors Campeón de 1923! at UACDRA website
- ^ "Gimnasia Campeón 1929 – Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata". gimnasia.org.ar. Retrieved 2025-07-13.
- ^ Un día como hoy, Gimnasia se coronaba campeón del fútbol argentino on El Editor Platense by Axel Laurini, 9 Feb 2025
- ^ a b c Basile dejaba su cargo en Boca y arrancaba la polémica era del "Bigotón", Infobae, 14 Sep 2012
- ^ Los números de Basile en Boca: Conquistó el 71,7 % de los puntos disputados on Urgente 24, 13 Sep 2006
- ^ a b Torneo Apertura 2006 on Historia de Boca
- ^ La reacción de San Lorenzo al 7-1 de Boca on TyC, 27 Aug 2023
- ^ Basile dio la lista de su primera convocatoria on Ambito Financiero, 19 Aug 2006
- ^ Hace 15 años, Basile comenzaba un ciclo perfecto en Boca on ESPN.com.ar, 6 Aug 2020
- ^ Ricardo La Volpe sencillito: "En Argentina no soy nadie, en México soy Gardel" on Marca.com, 10 Nov 2023
- ^ A 10 años del regreso de Verón on Edlp.com.ar
- ^ El mensaje de Juan Sebastián Verón en el aniversario de su regreso: “Estudiantes es revolución” on Infocielo
- ^ Catorce años del histórico título del 2006 on Estudiantes LP, 13 Dec 2020
- ^ a b c d e Estudiantes-Boca, el inolvidable desempate que resolvió el Apertura 2006 by Sebastian Rafanelli on Bolavip.com.ar, 13 Dec 2023
- ^ a b Ricardo La Volpe fracasó en Boca y ahora explicó por qué: "Me faltó inteligencia" by Gerónimo Anker on Planeta Boca Juniors. 27 Apr 2024
- ^ a b El tricampeonato de Boca que no fue: la chance perdida con La Volpe on TyC
- ^ Ricardo La Volpe, sin filtro on Infobae, 30 Jan 2020
- ^ Nuevas revelaciones de Ricardo La Volpe sobre aquel torneo de 2006 que perdió Boca: “Me dejaron muy solito” on La Nación, 6 Oct 2016
- ^ La revelación de Ricardo La Volpe sobre la definición perdida con Boca ante Estudiantes en el Apertura 2006: "Me dejó mal" on TNTSports.com.ar, 17 May 2022
- ^ Ricardo La Volpe contó cuál fue su gran error como técnico de Boca Juniors: “Cuando llegué, yo era un porotito”. Infobae, 15 Mar 2023
