Where do I start, what an amazing trip. At short notice Matheus was drafted in to do the Sao Paolo part of the trip too. Him not being that familiar with Sao Paolo didn't detract from the experience. Matheus was knowledgeable, friendly and even took us to an extra game.
Onto Rio, Matheus was so knowledgeable, we even got to 'hang' with some 'Ultras' prior to the Flamengo game and got to play a drum prior to the game (albeit not very well) :-) Matheus knows so many people so we got to experience the game with some of his friends too.
The football was amazing, the tours of the favela in Rio and the Samba night were fantastic. If you get the chance to do this trip, do it and if you're lucky enough to get Matheus as your host consider yourself very lucky. He's a fantastic, friendly, very knowledgeable guy. A great experience for us.
I had the best time seeing this fixture on my weekend in Argentina. Transport and complimentary drinks to and from the match were provided by homefans. Nacho our host got us up close to the atmosphere outside the ground and gave us some good info about the match, we enjoyed great food outside the ground and a beer before getting into the stadium where we had great seats behind the goal! Unforgettable match and one of the best atmospheres I've ever been in
As part of the fecha de los clásicos, I visited the Derby de Avellaneda (Independiente - Racing Club) and I had a blast! The organization by Nacho, Alvaro and Valentín of taking a big group to this football party par excellence, was amazing. It was incredible to see how close El Cilindro of Racing Club was to the stadium of Independiente, which emphasizes the importance of this rivalry. The stadium of Independiente was unique too with la Garganta del Diablo, one of the most remarkable elements I ever saw inside a football stadium.
At the start of 2020, I decided to return to South America to go to the holy grail for every lover of football culture: Buenos Aires. And although this trip had been my dream for over a decade and my expectations were mighty high, it still surpassed my expectations by a thousand miles. The Cinco Grandes, the smaller stadiums and the fecha de los clásicos; this journey had it all. If I knew I had only 3 weeks to live, I would purchase the Ultimate Argentina by Homefans again without thinking twice.
A big word of thanks goes to Alvaro and Valentín, the Homefans trip managers in Buenos Aires. I am aware that my plan to see as many matches as possible was a tremendous challenge, but these guys managed to unburden me with their excellent service throughout the entire trip. They both deserve a wellness arrangement :). In addition, Alvaro and Valentín are more than just sales reps. They truly care about the travelers and they assure the complete Argentinian experience by joining us at a typical bar or restaurant for example. Can't thank you guys enough!
Fantastic! As a football fan you can not ask for more than floodlights and one of the biggest derbies in the country. The atmosphere around the stadium was electrifying and the atmosphere inside was at boiling point. In any case, it is important to arrive at the stadium with some time.
Our guide Nacho was also fantastic! With a lot of background knowledge about the rivalry between Independiente and Racing, he has rounded off this experience wonderfully.
I can only recommend this tour to everyone and will definitely come again!
Lesley Hutchinson