An email arrived in my inbox this morning from a fellow Argy football fan with the title F.*.*.K.I.N.G M.U.P.P.E.T.
Half expecting an amateur YouTube clip of Miss Piggy in an inappropriate clinch with Kermit, I can't say I was overly surprised to see it was about River Plate's president José Maria Aguilar.
"The members of the barras that were in the papers, I don't know," he exclaimed.
It was in relation to the huge, and bloody fight at the Veléz stadium last weekend, in full glorious technicolour , between knife carrying members of internal factions of River's barra.
"Of the one's in the photos," he continued, "very few are members of River Plate. Of the 25 faces I don't know any of them."
It is quite a claim from a club who has actively employed members of the barra brava, including Acro, a young barra, who was River's pool cleaner....on US $68,000 a year.
With nearly every team being cooperatives, presidents and the board rely strongly on their fans to vote them in, leading to an uncomfortable relation between the barra brava, who they often feel obliged to condemn for their violence, while desperately needing them to retain power.
The clubs are in a tricky situation, no doubt, but it is still astonishing that not even the River president recognises these thugs, when the fans, the police, the newspaper reporters and even myself, does recognise them.
This policy of hear no evil, see no evil, speak evil can only continue to damage River's failing integrity.
And just to lighten the mood a little: Mahna Mahna Hey!
