Riots as River Plate suffer relegation

ONE of the most famous names in South American football, 33-time Argentina champions River Plate, suffered their biggest humiliation last night with relegation to the second division for the first time.

River drew 1-1 with Belgrano of the Nacional B division in the second leg of a relegation-promotion playoff at the Monumental after a 2-0 defeat in the first leg in Cordoba on Wednesday.

Fans in the 60,000 plus crowd at the Monumental went wild with rage, throwing objects on to the pitch and some tried to climb over perimeter fencing to storm on to the field. Players of both sides had to leave the pitch under protection of stewards.