One day after Paul the Octopus died, Argentina’s former president Néstor Kirchner also passed away. He was the husband of current president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, and the whole country’s been thrown into chaos for the day, as if it wasn’t already by the national census that’s caused businesses across the land to close down for the day. This had had a knock-on on the country’s football, with the upcoming weekend’s matches across all divisions cancelled, and a further effect on the date of the upcoming superclásico between River Plate and Boca Juniors.
With the AFA having called off the football for the coming weekend, the 13th round of the 2010 Torneo Apertura (and, of course, the other divisions that ere due to play) will be postponed, and this affects the 14th round as well, which includes the super, due to be played at River Plate’s Monumental stadium the weekend after this. Thanks to a Paul McCartney concert at the stadium in November, this won’t be able to be played the following weekend, so will now be played on an as-yet undecided date in the middle of the month, in mid-week. With two-thirds of the nation’s fans pledging support to one or the other of these two clubs, I think it’s safe to say as much work might get done on that date as has been today – i.e. none whatsoever.
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Hasta El Gol Siempre 
The superclasico will now be moved to another date. Meaning that it won’t be played on November 7, which is a birthdate for both myself and Martin Palermo. Honestly, you have to wonder about the AFA’s sense of priorities sometimes.
Couldn’t agree more Johnny. What would have been wrong with a minute’s silence before the games?
Hey Sam. Well, obviously part of my post was tongue in cheek about the birthday issue. But, I see no reason to cancel the matches. Then again, I’m a transplant here in Buenos Aires and not all that familiar with the mourning process following the deaths of major public figures. Having said all that, I do get the impression that there is some “competition” at times regarding who can “outmourn and outgrieve” the other. Yes, a minute of silence followed by a half hour of short speeches by bigwig Peronists might have sufficed. :)
Martin Palermo probably still has a ringing in his ears from the Big Bang.
That means that I am older than the Big Bang. Johnny is God.