Nickname: The King of Cups (El Rey de Copas)
Club fun facts: officially we are not in the city of Buenos Aires anymore, but in the city of Avellaneda in the province of Buenos Aires, as we crossed the Matanza river, better known as Riachuela. That also flows almost past the Bombonera of Boca Juniors by the way, a mere 4 kilometre walk, so we really are still in the middle of the metropolis Buenos Aires.
Both Independiente and Racing Club are part of the Cinco Grandes (big five) with a huge fanbase, although home games rarely sell out except of course for the Derby of Avellaneda and the games against Boca and River. The club is known as the king of cups as it has won the most Copa Libertadores (seven), though the last one was in 1984. The Red Devils (Diablos Rojos) is therefore a nickname used more frequently.
Official site: https://clubaindependiente.com.ar/
Stadium: Libertadores de America
Capacity: 42.069
Stadium specifics: completely rebuilt in the 2010s, the stadium has four stands, all with two tiers. The barra bravas are on the terraces on the lower northern stand (the Santoro end), the second ring has seats. The same set-up is on the other end (Tribuna Pavoni), all other stands have only seats (Plateas Erico form the main stand, the opposite side is Plateas Bochini).
And there are of course no roofs anywhere: the construction of the stadium (from 2008 onwards, partially financed by the sale of Sergio Aguero) had to be halted several times due to financial problems, and it was inaugurated when only 60% was finished.
The most distinct feature are the four corners, called Gargantes del Diablo (the devil’s throats). They look like business seats, but are more or less regular seats with a peculiar design. Inside the stadium ground behind the main stand is also a nice beer garden for pre-match burgers and beer.
And then there is of course the other peculiarity: the neighbours. 150 metres away, separated only by a small block of houses (poor people) and a training pitch, is the Estadio Presidente Peron, better known as El Cilindro because of its circular shape. It is the home ground of the other big Avellaneda football institution, Racing Club. During the construction of the new Independiente stadium both teams played in El Cilindro by the way, a pretty unique situation.
How to get there: From Plaza Constitucion station take line C to station Dario Santillan y Maximiliano Kosteki. From there just follow the railway southwards for ten minutes. The Libertadores stadium of Independiente is closest to the rail, El Cilindro (of Racing Club) is 300 metres to the left. If you approach from this side, it is a very residential area with lots of housing. There are also plenty of buses from the Microcentro traveling here to the Avellaneda neighborhood. If you find time, go to the famous 1870 Cerveceria beer bar, a couple of blocks from both stadiums.
Tickets: for non-members quite expensive, only seats, online from the day before the match usually.
