Unbeaten Independiente desperate to end long dry spell

A full 23 years have passed since Independiente were last crowned champions of Argentina. More than two decades, where dozens of coaches and countless players have represented the red side of Avellaneda without grabbing the prize last won back in the 2002 Apertura under Rubén Gallego.

A lot has happened since that team, led by top scorer Andrés 'Cuqui' Silvera and his 16 goals, beat out Boca Juniors at the summit. The Rojo did manage to continue their enviable record in continental competition with two wins in the Copa Sudamericana. Less happily, they faced relegation for the first time in their storied history back in 2013 and in recent years have been dogged by financial troubles, to the extent that influencer Santi Maratea intervened in 2024 to raise money in order to avoid FIFA transfer sanctions over an array of unpaid debts. 

Still, 23 years is a long time for a club of Independiente's calibre to go without Primera División honours, and with every season that passes they get closer to the fateful number 31 which dogged arch-rivals Racing between 1966 and 2001, to the delight of every Rojo fan on the planet. Will 2025 be their own year of redemption to cut that drought short?

The early indications from the Liga Profesional de Fútbol are certainly positive. Independiente have opened the season with three straight wins and stand apart as the only team remaining in the Argentine top flight (and, lest we forget, that is a lot of teams) with a perfect record. The Rojo have been quietly growing under the stewardship of Julio Vaccari since he replaced Carlos Tevez as coach last year and, after some initial teething problems mostly based around an ineffective attack and lack of goals, the pieces seem to have fallen into place for the ex-Defensa y Justicia coach and his charges.

Vaccari struck a defiant mood this week as Independiente gear up for their biggest test to date, a clásico in the Monumental against River Plate. “Am I scared? Nah, you must be joking,” he fired to reporters. It is the best game to play in but we cannot get distracted.

“[River] are a great team. With their economic power they are above the rest of the teams in the league. But we are a big team and we have to go out there and look for what we think is fair to the institution.”

While there are plenty of reasons for this recent resurgence, not least the man on the bench, one could do worse than training their eye first on the Rojo's number nine. Gabriel Ávalos endured a horrendous start to life in Avellaneda during 2024, scoring just once in 14 games in the Copa de la Liga following his move from Argentinos Juniors. The forward improved somewhat in the second half of the year to finish the Liga competition with nine in 27, but there were still plenty of question marks around his suitability to lead the line for such a prestigious, storied team. 

The striker has answered some of those doubts with three goals already so far and looks far more comfortable in the notoriously 'heavy' red shirt. With Ávalos, the exceptional ex-Tigre centre-back Kevin Lomónaco and ever-reliable goalkeeper Rodrigo Rey Independiente now has a central spinal column which can rival any team in the league, and so far it is paying off handsomely.

Of course, that might prove to mean little by the end of the season. The 2025 Apertura and Clausura will each be decided by a play-off competition for which more than half of the 30 teams in the league will qualify, with four knockout rounds deciding the fate of each title. This year will be more unpredictable and volatile than ever, and the identity of the champions may bear little relation to who was the best team in the opening group stages. 

If Independiente continue in this vein, however, few sides will wish to go up against them, and their chances of finally breaking that long dry spell will only look better.