Sightlines: Ciudad de los Estadios

Taken from Sightlines: A Stadium Odyssey, Ciudad de los Estadios (City of Stadiums) travels around the football grounds of Buenos Aires, thirty-six in all.

Football writer Simon Inglis knew what had to be done as soon as he read the quote: "We have more stadiums than public libraries," which was reported by a Buenos Aires newspaper bemoaning illiteracy rates amongst the city's football fundamentalists. Digging deeper, Inglis calculated that Buenos Aires has indeed more football grounds than other city in the world. So it was that in 1998 he set off, armed with a map the size of a double bed and accompanied by a River Plate fanatic who also happened to be a pyschotherapist. From the lofty heights of Boca's Bombonera to the crumbling terraces of Sacachispas; via clubs called Arsenal, All Boys, and Atlanta; encountering tangoistas, drug-fueled hooligans, and Peronists en route; here is the tale of his seven-day quest. On his list are thirty-six canchas, or grounds. But would he get to them all? And just as importantly, would the therapy help?