How was the start of fixed numbering in Argentine football on the historic day of Maradona’s last official goal?

Diego Maradona’s last goal with the Boca shirt. A penalty, against Newell’s, and his friend Sergio Goycochea

He was there once again. In his best clothes, which were always those of a football player. Standing, arms on his waist, waiting for the referee’s order to take a penalty, in the goal at La Bombonera, which faces the Riachuelo. It was the same place where he stood on the day of his debut in ’81, when he scored his first official goal with the Boca shirt against Talleres, or when a few months later, against Racing, he scored the goal that would be worth a title. In front of him, none other than Sergio Goycochea, a specialist in saving them, now in the Newell’s goal. Diego took a short run and placed it softly to the right of the goalkeeper. He ran out euphoric, to celebrate with his teammates and the public that had packed the stadium. No one could know that they were witnessing Maradona’s last official goal, in a day that would go down, for multiple reasons, in the history of Argentine football.

Maradona and Goyco, friends and rivals on that historic 14th of September 1997 at La Bombonera

It was on Sunday, September 14, 1997, when the third date of the opening tournament was played. The first two had taken place at the end of August and, after the break for the Qualifiers, the resumption came with something unprecedented for the local league, such as the implementation of fixed numbering on the shirts for an entire championship, in the first division. These 27 years that have passed, at the communication level, seem much longer and this is an example, because there were very few who were aware of the innovation, which would now have been massified by the social networks of the clubs or the protagonists themselves.

The most notable match of the day was Boca’s against Newell’s at the Bombonera, because it marked Maradona’s return, after having tested positive in an anti-doping test in the opening match, in the 4-2 victory against Argentinos Junios. There were many versions, back and forth, lawyers, assumptions and even a presentation in court by his lawyers, to investigate the analysis. Finally, a judge accepted that request and ordered the AFA to lift the suspension. The Xeneize public was even more motivated and sold out the tickets for the match against the Rosario team, which would go down in history.

Guillermo Barros Schelotto, wearing the number 23 shirt, celebrates his first goal for Boca, hugged by Claudio Paul Caniggia

And not only because of Diego’s last goal, but because there three players who were destined to go down in the history of the institution made their debut in AFA tournaments with that shirt: Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Martín Palermo and Jorge Bermúdez. El Loco and El Patrón had already played a match for the Super Cup, but not in the local competition. The twin came on in the second half and, anticipating the sweet times to come, scored the goal that gave the team a 2-1 win.

Guillermo did not use the number 7, which would be his trademark, since this shirt was owned by Julio Toresani, because the La Plata native was not in Bambino Veira’s original plans to be a starter and he wore the number 23. Claudio Caniggia asked for the number 8, his favorite number since the ’90 World Cup, and Diego Latorre asked for the number 11, which was his favorite since the time of Maestro Tabárez as Boca coach. Four players who would become part of the base of Carlos Bianchi’s team from the following year were listed from 17 to 20: Walter Samuel, Rodolfo Arruabarrena, Diego Cagna and Juan Román Riquelme.

Martín Palermo against Newell’s, the afternoon of his debut for Boca in AFA tournaments. He had already played with the blue and gold shirt in the Super Cup against Cruzeiro

The first Boca number 10 in the fixed numbering system was for Maradona, in an act of justice. The same happened with River’s number 9, which was worn by Enzo Francescoli. And one more fact links these phenomena: that 1997 Apertura tournament was the last of their respective careers. Diego retired in October, after winning the superclásico at the Monumental, while Enzo did the same in December, after being crowned champion.

The legendary number 10 jersey of the Millonarios was also in good hands (or feet) in that founding tournament with fixed numbers, as it was used by Marcelo Gallardo. Sebastián Rambert wore the number 22, with the particular detail of being one of the few to play the same tournament for the two biggest teams in our football, because in the first match he played for Boca against Argentinos Juniors and, as the transfer window was still open, he was transferred to River, where he made his debut on that third match, on Sunday, September 14, in the 3-0 victory against Ferro Carril Oeste in Caballito.

Marcelo Gallardo, River Plate’s first number 10 with fixed numbers

At Estudiantes de la Plata, since the previous season, a young midfielder, full of dynamics and great vision of the game, who had arrived from Newell’s, had been standing out. At the time of the distribution of numbers, he did not hesitate to ask for the number 18, with which he had been crowned world youth champion in Malaysia a couple of months before. It was Lionel Scaloni, who continued the path of good performances and, at the end of the opening tournament, was transferred to Deportivo La Coruña, where he would achieve his consecration.

The most original, without a doubt, of the 20 teams that made up the first division at the time, was Deportivo Español. Silvio Carrario was its top scorer (he scored 9 goals in 15 games) using the number 1, in an absolute eccentricity, which relegated the wish of goalkeeper Sandro Guzmán, recently at Boca, who declared: “When I saw the list that the kit man had made, I was furious. Carrario appeared with the number 1 and I with the 10. I didn’t understand anything. At first I was surprised, because I hated that number, I didn’t want it, but after a while I liked it. It really has a special flavor.” Carrario, faithful to his style, was not far behind when declaring: “The 1 seemed extravagant and kind of strange to me, but it was nothing against Sandro, on the contrary. After all, he kept the 10. What more could he ask for?”

Lionel Scaloni at Estudiantes with his classic number 18, shouting a goal alongside Piersimone. Two different types of numbers on the shirts of the same team

The “follies” of that Deportivo Español team did not end there. Gustavo Dalsasso, the substitute goalkeeper, wore the number 2, while the skilled Uruguayan playmaker Juan Martín Parodi, the number 6 and Pepe Basualdo, in a peculiar footballing exile (his transfer belonged to Boca, where he would return to win everything with Carlos Bianchi as coach), had a strange number 9. Two starting defenders, like Javier Páez and Jorge Reinoso, used very high numbers: 32 and 33 respectively.

The eternal rivalry between Santa Fe and Colón had its own little episode here, but with a coincidence more than any of the differences that usually separate them. José Luis Marzo, in Unión, and Adrián Gorostidi in Colón had in common their power and goal-scoring ability, as well as their nickname, because they were both called Loco. For this reason, neither of them hesitated when it was time to hand out their numbers and, logically, they wore the number 22.

The incredible numbers of Deportivo Español: goalkeeper Sandro Guzmán with the number 10 and the top scorer Silvio Carrario with the number 1

Above we mentioned a certain justice that was given in some emblematic cases, with the first fixed numbering in history, something that not only happened with Maradona and Francescoli, but with other representative footballers of their clubs: José Luis Chilavert (1) and Christian Bassedas (8) in Velez, Darío Cabrol (10) in Unión, Néstor Gorosito (10) in San Lorenzo, Eduardo Coudet (8) and Omar Palma (10) in Rosario Central, Hernán Díaz (4) and Leonardo Astrada (5) in River, Rubén Capria (10) in Racing, Julio Saldaña (4) in Newell’s, Hugo Morales (10) in Lanús, Jorge Burruchaga (7) and Daniel Garnero (10) in Independiente and Daniel Montenegro (10) in Huracán.

Another figure who said goodbye to professional football in that opening of 1997 was Oscar Ruggeri, who played his last matches with the Lanús jersey, but he did not do so with his classic number 6 (Gustavo Siviero had it), but instead used number 2. The particular detail with Cabezón occurred on Sunday, December 7, when he faced Estudiantes de La Plata at home. He had announced that this would be his farewell. After 10 minutes, Granate had a penalty in its favor and he made the decision to take it. He converted it with great serenity and automatically asked for the change, closing a brilliant cycle, full of titles, starting in June 1980.

The two “crazy” Santa Fe players. Gorostidi, from Colón, and Marzo, from Unión, wearing the number 22

There was a particular situation on Newell’s roster with Julio Zamora, who had come up through the youth ranks and, after a stint in Spain and River Plate, returned to the club to be champions under Marcelo Bielsa, always wearing the number 7. From there he was transferred to Mexico and upon returning, he didn’t want that number but 27 and explained it this way: “I asked for it because of Carlos Hermosillo, who was my teammate at Cruz Azul. He’s a true phenomenon as a person and as a player and wearing it is a way of feeling close to him.”

A number that is not usually liked in general, and in the football world in particular, is 13, because of its association, according to beliefs, with bad luck. However, in that tournament, there were two players who especially asked for it, because they felt it was the opposite and it had brought them success: Carlos Bossio, goalkeeper of Estudiantes and Sebastián Washington Abreu, forward of San Lorenzo, who continued to use it until the end of his long career.

For the new generations, fixed numbering is a custom and sometimes they look in amazement when they discover that years ago the first division was lined up from 1 to 11. But back in ’97 it was a tremendous innovation, appearing in a third date, which was not just another one. It went down in history as that opening tournament full of emotions, curious facts and the tears of football fans for the retirement of Diego and Enzo.