After the initial announcement just over a month ago, the day Racing Club fans had been waiting for arrived on Monday. Blanquiceleste, the company who ran the club from 2001 until early June, were signed out of existence by the judges presiding over their case yesterday. Meanwhile, a little to the west of Avellaneda, in Ezeiza, Sergio Batista’s got to find another defender after Internazionale of Milan refused to release Nicolás Burdisso for the Olympic Football Tournament.
‘Racing has ceased to exist’ is a phrase etched onto Racing fans’ memories since 2000, when the former club was declared bankrupt and later passed into the hands of Blanquiceleste S.A., a private company set up to keep the club going. Today, the blue half of Avellaneda will be hearing similar words with a happier feeling, as Hector García Cuerva announced: ‘Blanquiceleste has ceased to exist.’ The club once again returns to being an Asociación Civil, albeit one that will be run for now by proxy. Members’ elections will be set up to take place in March or April next year.
An added bonus was given out when, hours after judge Gorostegui signed the forms to confirm that Blanquiceleste and Fernando De Tomaso were no longer in charge, the Commercial Judge No. 20 signed papers to legally break up Blanquiceleste S.A. The company had petitions for money owed to former managers and players, but the biggest payback will have to be to Racing themselves: some AR$15 million (US$5 million).
At the selección‘s training camp in Ezeiza, Sergio Batista’s got some negotiating of his own to do. Italian champions Inter gave notice to the AFA on Monday that they won’t be allowing Nicolás Burdisso to participate as one of the three over-age players in the Olympic Football Tournament, owing to their own high number of injured defenders at present. Batista has until the 27th July to name a replacement, though ideally he’ll want to get it done as soon as possible, to allow the lucky man to train with the rest of the squad.
With Martín Demichelis and Fabricio Coloccini already denied permission to travel by their clubs, Batista will have to cast his net a little further afield. Real Madrid have been approached about Gabriel Heinze, and there are of course two defenders already on the ‘reserves’ list: Nicolás Pareja and Emiliano Insúa.
Hasta El Gol Siempre 
Bring in Cata Diaz ! If Coco won’t call him up, maybe Batista will. Better, I think, than Burdisso anyway, though maybe Getafe will stomp on the idea.
The problem with Blanquiceleste is that Racing will now have to absorb the debt and will be in an even worse position than the one we were in when BC joined in to, supposedly, pay off the debt and “heal” the club.
We owed 33 million pesos back when they came, now we will owe 36 million.
De Tomaso has generated a 15 million pesos debt (5 million US dollars) only in the last 6 months.
He was obviously planning all this and I think his strategy was to deteriorate the football team and his relationship with the fans, take the club to the verge of relegation and made it impossible for the fans and the government to react and kick him out.
He got away with it and now the debt is all Racing’s.
When will this nightmare end?
I’m not asking for Racing to win titles or participate in continental cups. I’m just asking for all of us to forget about numbers, lawyers, bankruptcies and legal issues and just be able to enjoy the normal stuff any supporter enjoys when following a football team.
This is all very sad.
How much more problem do we need to go through?
First Demichelis, then Heinze and now Burdisso.
Now I’m thinking what are the chances of other clubs will learn from this about releasing players for the Olympics.
Pareja has been ALLOWED to go by his club :shock horror:
After all the bad news we’ve had to hear about clubs not wanting to release their players we finally have our over-age defender.
He’s not as well known as the rest (I don’t think he even once played for an U-20 side) but he’s fast, strong on the ball and has a nice eye for a pass. Let’s hope he takes this once in a lifetime chance…
Seba, how are Racing ever going to be able to afford any new players? I saw an item about Racing’s first training session on Telefe today, that Llop has dropped ten players from the squad – Estevez, Chatruc and others we expected – and is claiming that two or three new players will join in 48 hours. But who will they be? I doubt they will be Hauche, Leguizamon and the other quite good names mentioned earlier in the blog. (though not keen on Garce and Nasuti, I would prefer more creative players).
I don’t know how will Racing be able to afford new players.
The rumours point in the direction of Diego Crosa (he wants out of Maccabi Haifa -or Maccabi Tel Aviv, I don’t remember- and he said: “Racing is always Racing. I know of the problems but I would like to play there again”).
Lugüercio, of Estudiantes, was also mentioned. The thing is they bought Calderón, Gastón Fernández and now they are about to close a deal with Mauro Boselli. A lot of competition for Lugüercio who is obviously not in Sensini’s plans. I’d welcome his signing but not if we have to give them Matías Sánchez as it is being said.
Iván Moreno y Fabianessi is another probable signing.
Hernán Barcos, who played a total of 3 matches for Racing in the past, went to Ecuador on loan, became topscorer in his team (and I’m not sure but could have been topscorer in the league) then came back to Racing, wasn’t wanted, emigrated to Red Star in Belgrade, played there on loan too and now he is back at Racing. Sounds a much better player than Avalos or Navia. Will have to prove he can score goals like Sava did sometimes.
Pepe Moreno from Independiente was also mentioned but I hope he doesn’t join us.
That said, if Llop was convinced to let 10 players go, he must know something regarding new signings. Doesn’t he?
We’ll wait and see.
It wouldn’t be very difficult to be better than Avalos or Navia!
But strikers seem to be transformed before they join and once they leave Racing.
I saw Sebastian Penco play a few times for Racing, but I don’t believe he ever scored. Yet in Espanol and Almirante Brown, he scored loads (admittedly in a lower league, but still).
What do you guys think about the younger strikers at Racing? Guys like Malano and Caballero. Do you guys rate them as worth a chance?
Also how about a move for Pepe Sand? I saw Lanus signed Balvorin today and are supposed to be looking at Ruben Ramirez of Colon…
Caballero should become a decent/good player. He’s got height on his side and he is very good on the ball. Still, it’s easy for defenders to push him around because he is very skinny. He needs to put up some muscle and he’ll be fine. He scores lots of goals for Racing reserves.
Malano, on the other hand, had more opportunities with the first team and has failed to impress me. His decision-making can be terrible. He has some “tools” he should be using more (like speed, good control). I don’t think he’ll be missed if he finally leaves Racing.
Sand? It would be great to get him to, at least, avoid him scoring (offside) goals against us! He’s got our number. I remember River won in Avellaneda 1-0 with a José Sand’s goal. So frustrating! (or was it a 1-1 draw. It doesn’t matter. The point is: he always scores against Racing!).
I don’t know if there are chances of him joining but I would think there aren’t!