# 1990–91 Argentine Primera División

The 1990–91 Argentine Primera División was the 100th season of top-flight professional football in Argentina. This season saw the introduction of the Apertura and Clausura system in Argentina. The season began on 20 August 1990 and ended on 30 June 1991.
Newell's Old Boys won the 1990 Apertura and Boca Juniors won the 1991 Clausura. Unlike following seasons, Apertura and Clausura titles were not officially recognised by the AFA so both teams had to play a two-legged final to crown a champion for the entire season. After a 1–1 tie on aggregate, Newell's Old Boys won the championship 3–1 by penalty shoot-out.
San Lorenzo won the Liguilla pre-Libertadores after beating Boca Juniors, therefore qualifying to the 1992 edition.

## Competition format

The tournament for the 1990–91 season was composed of 20 teams. Each team played each other teams in a single round-robin tournament. The season was divided in two separate championships, called Apertura (Opening) and Clausura (Closing). The winning teams from each tournament played a two-legged final for the season championship and to earn one of the two berths allocated to Argentine clubs in the 1992 Copa Libertadores. The remaining berth was allocated via a direct elimination tournament between the top four (or five, depending on the outcome of the season final) teams from both Clausura and Apertura. Relegation occurred at the end of the Clausura stage, with the two teams with the worst three-year point average (Primera División competition only) being relegated to Primera B Nacional competition.

## Apertura Tournament

The "Apertura" Tournament began on 20 August 1990 and finished on 22 December 1990. Newell's Old Boys won the tournament and would play the championship final against the winner from the Clausura Tournament. The match played between Boca Juniors and San Lorenzo was suspended following incidents in the stands during halftime that resulted in the death of a supporter. No points were awarded to both teams.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Newell's Old Boys | 19 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 30 | 13 | +17 | 28 | Qualified to Championship decider |
| 2 | River Plate | 19 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 29 | 13 | +16 | 26 | Qualified to 1992 Copa Libertadores Qualifier |
| 3 | Vélez Sarsfield | 19 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 27 | 18 | +9 | 24 | Qualified to 1992 Copa Libertadores Qualifier |
| 4 | Argentinos Juniors | 19 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 25 | 17 | +8 | 23 | Qualified to 1992 Copa Libertadores Qualifier |
| 5 | Rosario Central | 19 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 26 | 21 | +5 | 23 | |
| 6 | Ferro Carril Oeste | 19 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 19 | 16 | +3 | 23 | |
| 7 | Estudiantes (LP) | 19 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 17 | 17 | 0 | 20 | |
| 8 | Boca Juniors | 19 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 18 | 16 | +2 | 19 | |
| 9 | Huracán | 19 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 20 | 19 | +1 | 19 | |
| 10 | Independiente | 19 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 21 | 22 | −1 | 18 | |
| 11 | San Lorenzo | 19 | 4 | 10 | 5 | 15 | 18 | −3 | 18 | |
| 12 | Talleres (C) | 19 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 23 | 27 | −4 | 18 | |
| 13 | Racing | 19 | 2 | 13 | 4 | 19 | 21 | −2 | 17 | |
| 14 | Gimnasia y Esgrima (LP) | 19 | 2 | 12 | 5 | 15 | 20 | −5 | 16 | |
| 15 | Platense | 19 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 16 | 22 | −6 | 16 | |
| 16 | Chaco For Ever | 19 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 19 | 28 | −9 | 16 | |
| 17 | Deportivo Mandiyú | 19 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 17 | 21 | −4 | 15 | |
| 18 | Deportivo Español | 19 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 18 | 24 | −6 | 14 | |
| 19 | Unión | 19 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 21 | 28 | −7 | 13 | |
| 20 | Lanús | 19 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 11 | 27 | −16 | 11 | |

## Clausura Tournament

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Boca Juniors | 19 | 13 | 6 | 0 | 32 | 6 | +26 | 32 | Qualified to Championship decider |
| 2 | San Lorenzo | 19 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 29 | 18 | +11 | 27 | Qualified to 1992 Copa Libertadores Qualifier |
| 3 | Deportivo Mandiyú | 19 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 20 | 13 | +7 | 23 | Qualified to 1992 Copa Libertadores Qualifier |
| 4 | Racing | 19 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 23 | 22 | +1 | 23 | Qualified to 1992 Copa Libertadores Qualifier |
| 5 | Independiente | 19 | 6 | 10 | 3 | 22 | 15 | +7 | 22 | Qualified to 1992 Copa Libertadores Qualifier |
| 6 | Vélez Sarsfield | 19 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 25 | 22 | +3 | 21 | |
| 7 | Huracán | 19 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 16 | 16 | 0 | 21 | |
| 8 | Newell's Old Boys | 19 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 21 | 14 | +7 | 20 | |
| 9 | Estudiantes (LP) | 19 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 18 | 15 | +3 | 19 | |
| 10 | River Plate | 19 | 4 | 11 | 4 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 19 | |
| 11 | Platense | 19 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 11 | 16 | −5 | 19 | |
| 12 | Lanús | 19 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 15 | 16 | −1 | 18 | |
| 13 | Unión | 19 | 3 | 12 | 4 | 21 | 26 | −5 | 18 | |
| 14 | Gimnasia y Esgrima (LP) | 19 | 4 | 9 | 6 | 16 | 22 | −6 | 17 | |
| 15 | Rosario Central | 19 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 23 | −8 | 16 | |
| 16 | Ferro Carril Oeste | 19 | 2 | 11 | 6 | 15 | 20 | −5 | 15 | |
| 17 | Deportivo Español | 19 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 22 | 25 | −3 | 14 | |
| 18 | Argentinos Juniors | 19 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 19 | 30 | −11 | 13 | |
| 19 | Chaco For Ever | 19 | 1 | 10 | 8 | 15 | 26 | −11 | 12 | |
| 20 | Talleres (C) | 19 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 24 | 34 | −10 | 11 | |

## Championship decider

The championship decider was played between Newell's Old Boys and Boca Juniors, champions from the Apertura and Clausura tournaments respectively. After finishing with a 1–1 global score, Newell's won the final on penalties. With this result, Newell's was granted one of two Argentine berths for the 1992 Copa Libertadores. Boca Juniors played in the qualifier to compete for the remaining berth.
| Team 1 | Team 2 | Series | Date | Result | Venue | City |
| Newell's Old Boys | Boca Juniors | 1st. leg | 6 July | 1–0 | Gigante de Arroyito | Rosario |
| Newell's Old Boys | Boca Juniors | 2nd. leg | 9 July | 0–1 (a.e.t.) (3–1 p) | La Bombonera | Buenos Aires |

### Second leg

| Boca Juniors | Newell's O.B. |
| GK | 1 | Carlos Navarro Montoya (c) |
| DF | 4 | Diego Soñora | |
| DF | 2 | Juan Simón | 100' |
| DF | 6 | Enrique Hrabina |
| DF | 3 | Carlos Moya | 68' |
| MF | 8 | Walter Pico |
| MF | 5 | Blas Giunta |
| MF | 10 | Carlos Tapia |
| FW | 7 | Alfredo Graciani |
| FW | 9 | Gaúcho | 78' |
| FW | 11 | Gerardo Reinoso |
| Substitutes: ||
| FW | | Antonio Apud | 68' |
| FW | | Claudio Rodríguez | 78' |
| GK | | Esteban Pogany |
| DF | | Ivar Stafuza |
| DF | | Víctor Marchesini |
| Manager: ||
| Oscar Tabárez ||
| GK | 1 | Norberto Scoponi |
| DF | 4 | Eduardo Berizzo |
| DF | 2 | Mauricio Pochettino |
| DF | 6 | Fabián Garfagnoli |
| DF | 3 | Miguel Fullana |
| DF | 10 | Julio Saldaña |
| MF | 5 | Juan Manuel Llop | |
| MF | 8 | Gerardo Martino (c) | 38' |
| MF | 7 | Julio Zamora |
| FW | 9 | Ariel Cozzoni | 91' |
| FW | 11 | Cristian Domizzi |
| Substitutes: ||
| MF | | Juan C. Roldán | 38' |
| FW | | Ariel Boldrini | 91' |
| GK | | Carlos A. Panciroli |
| DF | | Diego Cerro |
| MF | | Ricardo Lunari |
| Manager: ||
| Marcelo Bielsa ||

## Copa Libertadores qualifier

The qualifier for the 1992 Copa Libertadores was played between 13 July and 11 August 1991. San Lorenzo won the final against Boca Juniors and earned the remaining berth for the tournament.
| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Finals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| Independiente | 1 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| San Lorenzo | 1 | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| San Lorenzo | 1 | 2 | 3 | San Lorenzo | 0 | 0 | 0 (4) | | | | |
| | | | | River Plate | 0 | 0 | 0 (2) | | | | |
| River Plate | 2 | 2 | 4 | River Plate | 0 | 0 | 0 (2) | | | | |
| Deportivo Mandiyú | 0 | 0 | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| Deportivo Mandiyú | 0 | 0 | 0 | | | | | San Lorenzo | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| | | | | | | | | Boca Juniors | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vélez Sarsfield | 3 | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | | | Boca Juniors | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Racing | 0 | 5 | 5 | | | | | | | | |
| Racing | 0 | 5 | 5 | Racing | 1 | 0 | 1 (1) | | | | |
| | | | | Boca Juniors | 1 | 0 | 1 (4) | | | | |
| Boca Juniors | 0 | 2 | 2 | Boca Juniors | 1 | 0 | 1 (4) | | | | |
| Argentinos Juniors | 1 | 0 | 1 | | | | | | | | |

## Relegation

At the end of the season Lanús and Chaco For Ever were relegated after finishing with the two worst points averages.
| Team | Average | Points | Played | 1988–89 | 1989–90 | 1990–91 |
| Boca Juniors | 1.254 | 143 | 114 | 49 | 43 | 51 |
| River Plate | 1.254 | 143 | 114 | 45 | 53 | 45 |
| Independiente | 1.237 | 141 | 114 | 55 | 46 | 40 |
| San Lorenzo | 1.070 | 122 | 114 | 42 | 35 | 45 |
| Racing | 1.061 | 121 | 114 | 42 | 39 | 40 |
| Vélez Sársfield | 1.053 | 120 | 114 | 33 | 42 | 45 |
| Huracán | 1.053 | 40 | 38 | N/A | N/A | 40 |
| Newell's Old Boys | 1.044 | 119 | 114 | 35 | 36 | 48 |
| Rosario Central | 1.035 | 118 | 114 | 36 | 43 | 39 |
| Argentinos Juniors | 1.018 | 116 | 114 | 42 | 38 | 36 |
| Estudiantes (LP) | 1.009 | 115 | 114 | 42 | 34 | 39 |
| Talleres (C) | 0.956 | 109 | 114 | 44 | 36 | 29 |
| Gimnasia y Esgrima (LP) | 0.947 | 108 | 114 | 36 | 39 | 33 |
| Ferro Carril Oeste | 0.939 | 107 | 114 | 30 | 39 | 38 |
| Deportivo Mandiyú | 0.939 | 107 | 114 | 33 | 36 | 38 |
| Deportivo Español | 0.921 | 105 | 114 | 46 | 31 | 28 |
| Platense | 0.912 | 104 | 114 | 33 | 36 | 35 |
| Unión | 0.882 | 67 | 76 | N/A | 36 | 31 |
| Chaco For Ever | 0.789 | 60 | 76 | N/A | 32 | 28 |
| Lanús | 0.763 | 29 | 38 | N/A | N/A | 29 |