Amateur Era in Argentine Football - History

History

The first league tournament outside the United Kingdom took place in Argentina in 1891, it was dominated by British expatriate players and teams. The Scottish influence is evident in the names of the league's first winners and runners up. Over the following decades the Creole football population of Argentina adopted and came to dominate the game. The most successful team until then, Alumni Athletic Club, folded in 1911 putting an end to the British dominance of the game. Although many English Argentine footballers played for Argentina into the 1920s, and many descendants of English immigrants have played football at the highest level.

There were many divisions and re-unifications, several seasons featured two top-flights run by rival associations. The end of the Amateur era came in 1931 with the birth of the first professional Argentine league. The most successful surviving team of the Amateur era is Racing Club, that won nine league championships between 1913 and 1925, including seven in a row (1913–1919).

Towards the end of the amateur era, many of the best players, like Luis Monti, Renato Cesarini and Raimundo Orsi, were leaving Argentina to play in the professional leagues of Europe, especially Italy. The professional Argentine Primera was launched by 18 breakaway clubs in 1931. The amateur league survived until 1934.

The 18 teams that broke away to form the first professional league were: Atlanta, Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Chacarita Juniors, Estudiantes de La Plata, Ferro Carril Oeste, Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata, Huracán, Independiente, Lanús, Platense, Quilmes, Racing Club, River Plate, San Lorenzo, Talleres (RE), Tigre and Vélez Sársfield.