# 1996–97 in Argentine football

1996–97 in Argentine football saw River Plate win both the Apertura and Clausura championships. Vélez Sársfield won the Recopa Sudamericana and Lanús won the Copa CONMEBOL.

## Torneo Apertura ("Opening" Tournament)

| Position | Team | Points | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Difference |
| 1 | River Plate | 46 | 19 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 52 | 22 | 30 |
| 2 | Independiente | 37 | 19 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 34 | 22 | 12 |
| 3 | Lanús | 37 | 19 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 23 | 12 | 11 |
| 4 | Racing Club | 32 | 19 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 31 | 24 | 7 |
| 5 | Rosario Central | 31 | 19 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 35 | 28 | 7 |
| 6 | Gimnasia La Plata | 27 | 19 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 21 | 20 | 1 |
| 7 | San Lorenzo | 27 | 19 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 24 | 24 | 0 |
| 8 | Colón de Santa Fe | 26 | 19 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 26 | 24 | 2 |
| 9 | Newell's Old Boys | 26 | 19 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 24 | 26 | -2 |
| 10 | Boca Juniors | 25 | 19 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 36 | 33 | 3 |
| 11 | Estudiantes de La Plata | 25 | 19 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 27 | 28 | -1 |
| 12 | Gimnasia de Jujuy | 25 | 19 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 18 | 19 | -1 |
| 13 | Vélez Sársfield | 23 | 19 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 29 | 33 | -4 |
| 14 | Ferro Carril Oeste | 22 | 19 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 32 | 34 | -2 |
| 15 | Platense | 21 | 19 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 25 | 30 | -5 |
| 16 | Unión de Santa Fe | 20 | 19 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 24 | 27 | -3 |
| 17 | Huracán de Corrientes | 19 | 19 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 31 | 40 | -9 |
| 18 | Deportivo Español | 16 | 19 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 18 | 25 | -7 |
| 19 | Huracán | 16 | 19 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 21 | 36 | -15 |
| 20 | Banfield | 13 | 19 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 14 | 38 | -22 |

### Top scorers

| Position | Player | Team | Goals |
| 1 | Gustavo Reggi | Ferro Carril Oeste | 11 |
| 2 | Julio Cruz | River Plate | 10 |
| 3 | Guillermo Barros Schelotto | Gimnasia La Plata | 9 |
| 3 | Martín Cardetti | Rosario Central | 9 |
| 3 | Rubén Da Silva | Rosario Central | 9 |
| 3 | Fernando Di Carlo | Platense | 9 |

## Torneo Clausura ("Closing" Tournament)

| Position | Team | Points | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Difference |
| 1 | River Plate | 41 | 19 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 37 | 20 | 17 |
| 2 | Colón de Santa Fe | 35 | 19 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 36 | 28 | 8 |
| 3 | Newell's Old Boys | 35 | 19 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 23 | 20 | 3 |
| 4 | Independiente | 34 | 19 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 38 | 21 | 17 |
| 5 | Vélez Sársfield | 32 | 19 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 25 | 18 | 7 |
| 6 | San Lorenzo | 30 | 19 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 32 | 22 | 10 |
| 7 | Racing Club | 27 | 19 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 24 | 22 | 2 |
| 8 | Platense | 26 | 19 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 21 | 22 | -1 |
| 9 | Boca Juniors | 25 | 19 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 34 | 32 | 2 |
| 10 | Ferro Carril Oeste | 24 | 19 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 24 | 22 | 2 |
| 11 | Lanús | 24 | 19 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 22 | 21 | 1 |
| 12 | Unión de Santa Fe | 24 | 19 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 31 | 36 | -5 |
| 13 | Gimnasia La Plata | 23 | 19 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 19 | 25 | -6 |
| 14 | Huracán | 22 | 19 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 22 | 33 | -11 |
| 15 | Huracán de Corrientes | 21 | 19 | 4 | 9 | 6 | 21 | 28 | -7 |
| 16 | Estudiantes de La Plata | 19 | 19 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 22 | 26 | -4 |
| 17 | Deportivo Español | 19 | 19 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 19 | 25 | -6 |
| 18 | Rosario Central | 18 | 19 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 24 | 27 | -3 |
| 19 | Banfield | 16 | 19 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 20 | 32 | -12 |
| 20 | Gimnasia de Jujuy | 14 | 19 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 21 | 35 | -14 |

### Top scorers

| Position | Player | Team | Goals |
| 1 | Sergio Martínez | Boca Juniors | 15 |
| 2 | José Luis Calderón | Independiente | 12 |
| 2 | Enzo Francescoli | River Plate | 12 |
| 4 | Josemir Lujambio | Huracán de Corrientes | 10 |

## Relegation

Banfield and Huracán de Corrientes were relegated with the worst points averages.

## Argentine clubs in international competitions

| Team | Intercontinental | Recopa 1996 | Supercopa 1996 | CONMEBOL 1996 | Copa Libertadores 1997 |
| Vélez Sársfield | N/A | Champions | Champions | N/A | 2nd round |
| Lanús | N/A | N/A | N/A | Champions | did not qualify |
| River Plate | Runner up | Runner up | 1st round | N/A | Round 2 |
| Racing Club | N/A | N/A | 1st round | N/A | SF |
| Rosario Central | N/A | N/A | N/A | SF | did not qualify |
| Boca Juniors | N/A | N/A | QF | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| Argentinos | N/A | N/A | 1st round | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| Estudiantes | N/A | N/A | 1st round | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| Independiente | N/A | N/A | 1st round | did not qualify | did not qualify |