Ever wondered what the neighborhood around La Paternal, home of Argentinos Juniors, is like? The club where the legendary Diego Armando Maradona set his first footsteps of his professional career.  There’s one man who can take you into the world of Argentinos Juniors with all the stories and make you feel part of the club: Meet Tomás Gonzalez, one of the top hosts on the Homefans platform. 

In this post, we caught up with Tomás. Tomás tells us why Buenos Aires is an absolute must-visit for any football fan, and why he decided to become a local host on the platform.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I am Tomás Gonzalez from Buenos Aires, Argentina. I’m 30 years old and I have a degree in History from the Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA). I was born & raised in the neighbourhood of La Paternal, the same place where I’m currently living and the house of my club, Argentinos Juniors. I love sports in general -football in particular- but I also enjoy basketball, rugby, F1, tennis, boxing, swimming and lots of olympic sports. I work at two Buenos Aires’ museums: a historical one in the downtown and the Argentinos Juniors’ one, which is four blocks away from my place.

Why do you support your club?

It is hard not to be linked with Argentinos Juniors if you live in this community. The club is a major reference in sports in the area so most of the children attend to it at a certain point. We are also proud of being a first division side without losing the local scale. The sense of belonging created between the club and the neighbourhood is huge and unbreakable. So if you happen to live here, you tend to support or at least sympathize with the club.

What does the club mean to you and the rest of the city?

The club really means a lot to me -it’s hard to exaggerate how much. Most of my friends are from the club as half of my family is and I have spent so many years between the stadium and the sports complex… It is just an important part of my life. It also means a lot to the local community as I previously said. At a city scale (even in a major metropolis like Buenos Aires which is packed out of football stadiums and sports’ clubs) it remains a reference. It is one of the few that matches professional top level football with important social and sports work in the local community. And of course it is an icon of the city for it’s wonderful football academy and for being Diego Maradona’s sports birthplace.

Why did you sign up to become a host on Homefans?

I started to work with Homefans during 2020 because I was in need of an extra income, and also because the company started to explore a partnership with the club. Since I was the only collaborator of the club’s museum which was a fluent English speaker and considering I already had certain experience hosting tours, the museum clerk recommended me as the local host of Argentinos Juniors.

How is your experience so far as host on Homefans?

My experience has been really good so far. I am able to work as much as I want with the virtual tours I host. Also I have a great link both with the Latin America’s Homefans regional manager and with all the european head office’s staff. And it was quite easy to create a link with other local hosts (both from Argentina and Europe) too.

What would you say to other people interested in hosting?

I would suggest they give it a try, as I did with some people I know. It is fun, it is a way to have an extra income and it will help you to put your skills in practice. Also it will make getting to know like-minded fans from all over the world who are looking forward to getting to know your club from the first hand.

What do you recommend travelers to visit in Buenos Aires?

Buenos Aires is the city with the biggest number of football stadiums per square meter in the world, so it is like Mecca for groundhoppers! We have an unbelievable footballing culture with dozens of places worth a visit that link the passion of a city that breathes football with other things like music and street arts. Of course, my first piece of advice would be visiting the Diego Armando Maradona stadium in La Paternal, the only one in the city in which you can visit the pitch combined with the very special club’s museum. I would also recommend tasting the local cuisine. It is amazing and not only about beef as you might imagine. The best pizza in the world (fugazzetta, made of mozzarella cheese and onions) is served in Buenos Aires only. That happens because of the significant italian migration that settled here. There are dozens of traditional pizza places who serve it, mostly in the downtown area. Finally, Buenos Aires also has a vibrant nightlife (with San Telmo having the biggest beat) and a gorgeous european styled eclectic architecture. That all makes up an outstanding destination.

What’s the typical match day experience like?

A typical match day would include a brief visit to the club’s museum which is in the same stadium, VIP seats in one of the seated areas, a snack during the game and a drink or a meal on a typical Buenos Aires’ spot after the match, depending on the hour the game takes place. It will also include the shuttle from the hotel to the venue in a private car.

Where can people find you on Homefans and what activities are you hosting?

You can find both the virtual tours I offer and the activities here in Buenos Aires on the Homefans website only. Looking forward to hosting you here!