The relegation of River Plate in 2011 remains one of the most shocking events in Argentine football. What had seemed impossible for decades became a reality on June 26 of that year, when the Núñez team drew 1-1 with Belgrano de Córdoba at the Monumental stadium and was relegated to the Primera B Nacional for the first time in its history.
The fall was not the result of a single season, but the outcome of a long process of institutional and sporting deterioration that began years earlier. The breaking point came in the 2008 Apertura Tournament, when River finished last for the first time in a Primera División championship, an unprecedented result for one of the largest clubs in the country.
In December 2009, Daniel Passarella took over the presidency of the club after winning the elections. However, he inherited an institution battered by economic and sporting problems that had deepened during the previous administration.
Although River showed some passages of good football, it never managed to definitively distance itself from the relegation zone in the average table. During the 2011 Clausura, the team had an encouraging start, but a series of poor results in the final stretch ultimately condemned it to play in the Promotion.
The first match was played on June 22, 2011, in Córdoba. Belgrano took advantage of the home field and won 2-0 with goals from César Mansanelli and César "Picante" Pereyra, leaving River needing a comeback at the Monumental.
Four days later, the Millonario came out determined to turn the tide and quickly opened the scoring thanks to Mariano Pavone. However, the hope lasted little. In the second half, Guillermo Farré scored the equalizer for Belgrano and left River with no room for reaction.
The match ended 1-1 and confirmed the relegation of the Núñez team. After the final whistle, serious incidents broke out inside and outside the stadium, on a day that was recorded as one of the saddest in the club's history.
