The origins of Argentine sports club Boca Juniors can be traced to the early 1900s, when a group of teenagers decided to establish a football club in La Boca, a working-class neighborhood of Buenos Aires. Most of the original founders of the club were of Italian descent, as the southern barrio had been settled by Ligurian migrants during the 19th century;Italia y su huella en La Boca on GCBA to this day, Boca supporters are known as "Xeneizes" (a deformation of "Zeneise", meaning "Genoese" in the Ligurian language).¿Por qué a Boca Juniors se le conoce como los ‘Xeneizes’?, As, 30 Sep 2019
During the first years of its existence, the club developed a strong rivalry with then neighbor team River Plate, that would continue throughout the years, despite River Plate having left La Boca to establish itself in Belgrano. In the 20th century, Boca consolidated as one of the most popular and successful clubs in Argentina, giving its first step in 1913 when the team promoted to Primera División.
Although Boca Juniors won its first official title in 1919 (the Primera División championship),Argentina 1919 on the RSSSF the first milestone in the history of the club came in 1925 with the successful tour to Europe, where Boca Juniors played 19 matches, winning 15 of them.Historia: 1925 on Boca Juniors website That tour was the first time an Argentine team played abroad, and it helped Boca considerably increase its number of fans in Argentina. Besides, the term "player number 12" was used for the first time during that tour.A 95 años del exitoso regreso de Boca, Página/12,
Before La Bombonera was opened in 1940, Boca Juniors played its home venues at many locations, with its first field located in Dársena Sud (south of current Puerto Madero neighborhood). Other locations include fields in Isla Demarchi, and Wilde in Avellaneda Partido. The first stadium in La Boca was at Ministro Brin and Senguel streets which lasted until 1924 when the club moved to Brandsen and Del Crucero.
Although football was the main interest of the club (and the sport which the club is mostly renowned for) at the moment of having been founded, Boca Juniors also added other sports, most notably basketball (which team has won several titles since the section was created in 1929), and volleyball. In football, Boca Juniors is considered one of the "Big Five" since 1937, when the Argentine Football Association (AFA) arranged a system of proportional representation for the affiliated clubs.¿Cómo nació el apodo de los cinco grandes del fútbol argentino? by Oscar Barnade on Clarín, 10 Aug 2017
Italian immigration to Argentina
By 1905, Buenos Aires was a city of only 900,000 inhabitants. A significant part of them were Italian immigrants, that had arrived en masse from 1870 to 1920 with a peak between 1900 and 1915. The majority of them established in the Buenos Aires Province, working in a large range of occupations such as agriculture, craft, commerce, among others.
By 1914 the 50% of the immigrants who came to Argentina were Italian.Immigrants in the Lands of Promise: Italians in Buenos Aires and New York City, 1870 to 1914 by Samuel Baily – Published by Cornell University Press,
Italian immigrants living in La Boca tried to keep their customs and social practices. The "cantinas" were the places where they used to meet and dance the typical Italian rhythms. The dishes were also brought from their country of origin, such as pizza and pasta.
Italian influence is still visible in Argentina, with Lunfardo, the jargon enshrined in tango lyrics, laden with Italianisms, often also found in the mainstream colloquial dialect (Rioplatense Spanish). Common dishes with Italian names and origins (milanesa, fainá, polenta, pascualina) were adopted by Argentina and nowadays they are recognizable dishes of the local gastronomy.
Foundation
On April 1, 1905, a group of boys that had been part of a football team, "Independencia Sud",The club, history on Boca Juniors official site (archived, 17 Apr 2010) met in a bench of Plaza Solís of La Boca with the purpose of establishing a team. They were Esteban Baglietto, Santiago Scarpatti, Santiago Sana, and brothers Juan and Teodoro Farenga. As they didn't reach an agreement, a new meeting was called for the next day. In a new meeting on April 3, they finally agreed and the first committee was established, with Baglietto as president. After several names were proposed, "Boca" (for the neighborhood) was chosen, adding "Juniors" to it after a suggestion by Sana, to highlight the name.Amistosos 1905 on Historia de Boca website The use of English language in football team names was commonplace, as British railway workers had originally introduced football into Argentina.
Plaza Solís, seat of the first meeting, is recognized today as the place where Boca Juniors was established."La historia de una pasión inigualable" by Pedro Uzquiza on Clarín, 30 Nov 1998
Baglietto, Sana and Scarpatti had received football lessons by Patrick "Paddy" McCarthyThe complete book of football, edited by Chris Hunt an Irish footballer and boxer who came to Argentina in 1900 and taught football techniques to the children of immigrants, as an appointed member of the sports municipal committee in Buenos Aires.
Other important founders members include Arturo Penney, Marcelino Vergara, Luis Cerezo, Adolfo Taggio, Giovanelli, Donato Abbatángelo and Bertolini.
Early years The first field of the club was placed on the square block formed by Pedro de Mendoza, Colorado (A. Caffarena today), Sengüel (B. Pérez Galdós) and Gaboto streets in "Dársena Sud", while the headquarters located on Pinzón street (then moved to Suárez street). On April 21, 1905, Boca Juniors played its first match, beating Mariano Moreno 4–0, with goals scored by Juan Farenga (2), José Farenga and Sana. The starting line-up was: Esteban Baglietto (founder and president); José Farenga (founder and treasurer), Santiago Sana, Vicente Oñate, Guillermo Tyler, Luis De Harenne, Alfredo Scarpatti (secretary), Pedro Moltedo (captain), Amadeo Gelsi (vice-president), Alberto Tallent and Juan Farenga (founder)."Y un día Boca salió a la cancha" on El Espectador, 21 Apr 2005 "Boca te llevo en el alma y en la web" on Clarín, 29 Apr 1998 In that match, the team wore a white shirt with black stripes,"La camiseta" at Boca Juniors official web hand-stitched by Manuela, sister of the Farenga. That shirt was worn in several matches until it was replaced by a light blue one. Nevertheless, some versions state that the first jersey was pink and was worn only for the first two games, although there are no any solid evidence that can prove this."La camiseta rosa" by Javier Vaca and Sergio Lodise on CECAD Magazine #3, February 2013
In August 1905, Boca registered to play in Copa Villalobos, where the team made a poor performance losing most of games. One of its rivals was Club Atlético Independiente. After the frustrating experience in Villalobos, Boca Juniors registered to another ligue, "Liga Central" in 1906, where the team would win its first title, being awarded the "Copa Reformista Trophy". Boca played 18 matches, winning 15 and remaining unbeaten.Amistosos 1906 on Historia de Boca
In 1907 the club played two matches in Liga Central before switching to "Asociación Porteña de Foot-Ball". Some sources state that Boca wore the blue and gold colors for the first time on August 4, v General Arenales (Boca won 1–0). Those colors came after a suggestion from former club's president (and port worker) Juan Brichetto, taking the colors of the flag of the first ship he allowed to cross on the following morning. As the first ship that crossed the bridge was Swedish, Boca Juniors took those colors."Club Atlético Boca Juniors" at Barriada.com.ar It is believed that it was the 4146-ton freighter "Drottning Sophia", a Swedish vessel sailing from Copenhagen, although other historians say that the Drottning Sophia did not arrive in Buenos Aires in 1907 but in 1905. The ship that gave it colors to Boca Juniors would have probably been the Oskar II of Nordstjernan/Johnson Line, arriving to the port on February 5, 1907."De otro barco?" at Planeta Boca Juniors website The first design with those colors was blue with a diagonal gold sash."La nueva camiseta de Boca trae polémica" on La Nación, 2005
In Asociación Porteña, Boca reached the final v Araneles, losing the playoff 1–0 after the first match (won by Boca 4–1) was annulled and the second ended in a 3–3 tie. In September, Boca registered in Liga Albión, where one of its rivals was Santa Rosa (predecessor of then arch-rival River Plate).Amistosos 1907 That year, Boca played its first international match, v Uruguayan club Universal from Montevideo, on December 8, 1907. Universal won 1–0."Club Boca Juniors de Argentina – Universidad del CEMA website
Boca Juniors played the 1907 Copa Albión final v San Telmo in 1908, winning 4–1 and therefore achieving its second title, being awarded the "Copa Barone Trophy".Segunda división 1908 on Historia de Boca
AFA affiliation
In 1908 Boca Juniors affiliated to the Argentine Football Association to play in Segunda División, the second division of Argentine football by then. Boca Juniors' debut in official tournaments was on May 3, 1908, when the squad defeated Belgrano A.C. II by 3–1 in the stadium of Virrey del Pino and Superí of Belgrano neighborhood. Boca Juniors starting line-up for that historic match was: Juan de los Santos; Marcelino Vergara, Luis Cerezo; Guillermo Ryan, Alberto Penney, Juan Priano; Arturo Penney, Manuel Eloiso, Rafael Pratt, Pedro Moltedo, José María Farenga. Goals were scored by Pratt (2) and Eloiso. The squad finished in first place (among eight teams) and qualified for the next stage, the semifinal, where Boca was beat by Racing Club 1–0.El debut oficial de Boca: la génesis de una gran historia by Oscar Barnade, Clarín, 3 May 2017
On August 2, the first Superclásico (friendly) was played, with Boca winning 2–1. Nevertheless, some sources state that there were previous matches between both clubs. That same year Boca Juniors played its first Copa Bullrich, a competition contested by Segunda División clubs. Boca was eliminated by Atlanta (then champion) in the second stage after being beat 5–0.Copa Bullrich 1908
In 1909 Boca made a poor campaign, finishing 3rd in its zone. Gimnasia y Esgrima de Buenos Aires promoted to Primera División. In 1910 Boca Juniors made a good campaign winning 15 matches with only 3 losses. Boca played another semifinal against Racing Club but it lost 2–1 (at GEBA) and could not promote to the first division.Segunda División 1910
In 1911, División Intermedia is created as the second level of Argentine football, with Boca Juniors as one of its teams. The club made a poor campaign with only 7 wins and 8 losses, almost being relegated. Pedro Calomino (who became the first idol in the history of the club)Dáguele Calumín! on El Gráfico, 3 Apr 2018 debuted during this competition.División Intermedia 1911
Boca left its field in 1912 to move to Costanera Sur, where the Naval Observatory is located nowadays. As a result of the first schism in the Association, dissident body Federación Argentina de Football is established, causing that only a few clubs remained to play a championship. Boca would be promoted to the first Division –among other teams– the next year.División Intermedia 1912
The coming to Primera División and "Superclásico"
In 1913 Boca earned the promotion to Primera División that the team had wanted for many years. This was possible when the Asociación Argentina de Fútbol decided to increase the number of teams in the league from 6 to 15. The other teams that went to Primera were Ferro Carril Oeste, Platense, Banfield, Olivos, Comercio, Ferrocarril Sud and Riachuelo.Hace 105 años Boca estaba en la "B" y ascendió con el escritorio (y el apoyo de River) by Abel Escudero Zadrayec, Clarín, 18 Jul 2017