Argentina's biggest stadium once again experienced the impossible. More than 86,000 spectators turned up in the stands of the colossus in Buenos Aires and River's players did not disappoint - the capital's team became champions of the country.

Amazing atmosphere at Mâs Monumental

River Plate won the Liga Profesional de Fútbol (LPF) yesterday, winning the 70th title in the team's history. Martin Demichelis, also well-known in Europe, became coach of the Buenos Aires team last November and is now enjoying his first title. On Saturday, his team beat Estudiantes de La Plata 3-1 at their home stadium, Mâs Monumental, in front of 86,000 cheering fans.

Born in Cordoba in 1980, Demichelis joined River Plate as a footballer in 2000. His debut match in the red and white jersey was in 2001 against Estudiantes de La Plata, the same team that River beat last weekend. In 2003, he left River and joined Bayern Munich. He remained in Europe for the rest of his professional career: he played for Spain's Málaga, Atlético de Madrid and Espanyol, as well as Manchester City.

After the match, incredible River fans overwhelmed the stadium and the celebration in Buenos Aires probably continues until now. River are now closer to equalling the record of 74 titles of their eternal rival, Boca Juniors. They are the two teams with the most titles in Argentina.

© River Plate

The heart of Buenos Aires getting bigger and bigger

Following the inauguration of the lower sector of the Belgrano stand, two connections between the stands were presented at this Saturday's match. Fans saw for the first time the south stand, Centenario, directly connected to Belgrano and San Martín. While work on connecting the other sections continues, the time has come to replace the seats in the central Sívori sector. The stadium is constantly increasing its capacity and the work is scheduled to be completed in the mid-2024.

However, not everything to do with the works at the Monumental relates to the pitch itself - inside, away from the spotlight, there has been a major renovation of the arena, which is almost ready to open its doors again. A series of works began five months ago at the facility, where the first basketball and volleyball teams play. The renovation is now complete: the replacement of the parquet floor and boards, led lighting, new clocks on both sides of the court and other repair and painting work have given the facility a new face. The arena can now accommodate 2,400 people.

© Obras River Plate