The 1930 Argentine Championship season was the last one organised by the Argentinian Amateurs Football Asscociation. The first professional season of Argentine club football started in March of this year and ran through to April 1931, with a gap between June 29 and August 17 1930 to allow for the first FIFA World Cup, held in nearby Uruguay. This league was organised by Liga Argentina de Futbol, a “pirate” organisation who were separate from FIFA and who controlled the league until 1934 when they merged with the Argentine Football Association. The league was somewhat of a shambles at first, after 18 clubs from the amateur league broke ranks and joined the new professional league, causing it swell to 36 participating teams. The extremely lenghy season led to the eventual disinterest of the fans.

 

Around this time though, Estudiantes took centre stage when they witnessed the arrival of a group of players affectionately knowns as “Los Profesores” (The Teachers). The side was constructed around Miguel Angel Lauri, Alejandro Scopelli, Manuel Ferreira, Alberto Zozaya and Enrique Guata, five players whose performances led to Estudiantes becoming one of Argentinas most well-loved clubs, adored by fans across the country. It was Zozaya, in fact who scored the first ever goal in the history of Argentine professional football. Ferriera played for Argentina in Olympic Games and 1930 World Cup. Guaita and Scopelli were both on the Italian national team that won the 1934 World Cup.

 

In 1931, the first season of professional competition, Estudiantes obtained a third place finish. They had established themselves as true contenders to wrangle championships away from Argentina’s so-called “Big Five” of Boca Juniors, River Plate, Racing Club, Independiente and San Lorenzo. Boca took the title that year, but it was a close-run thing. Just 2 days before the long awaited end of the season, Estudiantes thrashed Boca 4-1, taking them to within 2 points of the top. But on the very last day, Estudiantes let the title get away by losing to Atlanta, who ended up finishing bottom of the table, which allowed Boca to win the title if they won their last game, which of course they did. Nethertheless, thanks to Los Profesores, Estudiantes hit the net a record 104 times that season, with Zozoya finishing as the leagues first top scorer.

 

A decent performance followed in the 1932 championship when Estudiantes finished in 6th, below the Big Five, but they believed that they could achieve more. In the Copa de Competencia, Estudiantes finished as runners-up with a loss to River Plate in the final – nothing to be ashamed of. In 1935, Estudiantes merged with Club Social la Plata and inaugurated their current headquarters and facilities. 1936 saw Estudiantes head off on their first international tour. The visited Brazil and played clubs in Rio and Sao Paulo, however they weren’t highly successful.

 

They went to work installing artificial lighting towers at their Jorge Luis Hirschi Stadium which were completed in 1937 and led to what was called the International Night Tournament, a series of floodlit friendly games two decades before Wolverhampton came up with the idea. Held during the summer break, the International Night Tournament featured the best clubs from both Argentina and Uruguay – Newell’s Old Boys, Rosario Central, Nacional and Penarol joined Estudiantes unter the lights.

 

In 1938, Manuel Pelegrina signed with the club. He would go on to convert 219 goals to become the clubs top scorer. He remained with Estudiantes until 1956, bar one season where he joined Huracan, and from 1942 onwards he formed a dangerous partnership with Ricardo Infante, who himself remained at Estudiantes until 1960. Estudiantes decided they enjoyed touring despite mixed results, so in 1942 they went to Mexico playing games against both local and other touring teams like Botafogo. Estudiantes played a combined Spain-Asturias XI and then headed to Costa Rica. Their next tour saw them visit Chile with 2 wins and 2 defeats, then in 1943 it was off to Bolivia and Peru where they enjoyed much success – 6 wins, 1 draw, 1 defeat. The man between the sticks from 1939 to 1932 was Gabriel Mario Ogdango  - he made 347 appearances.

 

1944 saw Estudiantes finish second in the league behind Boca which qualified them for the Escobar Cup, played among the top 7 teams in Argentina. The Professors defeated the likes of River Plate, Huracan and San Lorenzo to claim the trophy. In 1945 they controversially won the Copa de la Republica. With the score in the final against Boca Juniors tied at 4-4, a tie breaker game was held following the end of the season. Estudiantes were 3-1 up when violence erupted among the players and fans invaded the pitch. The referee decided to can the game before the full time whistle and the score stood. It was their lat major achievement for the immediate future, as the government heavily interfered with the club from that point, causing them to get relegated for the first time in their history.

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Acheivements: 
Copa Adrian C Escobar – Winners x1
Copa Gral. P. Ramirez – Winners x1

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Star player:  Manuel Pelegrina, dob 19 November, 1919 pob San Vicente, Argentina nickname: Payo

Pelegrina had an incredible career with Estudiantes which extended from 1938 to 1956, joining the club to replace the aging Enrique Guaita. With 234 goals amassed from 489 appeanrances, he is the top goal scorer in Estudiantes history, and the forth highest in Argentine league history. Along with Ricardo Infante, he left the club and joined Huracan when Estudiantes were relegated in 1953, how ever he returned as soon as they were promoted again. The players didn’t want to turn their backs on Estudiantes, but were made to leave through political intervention around that time. Pelegrina was a member of the Argentinian nation team at the time, however they were so good, he struggled to maintain a spot in the starting XI competing with other left-wingers such as Enrique Garcia and Felix Losteau would not have been easy. Pelegrina passed away from pneumonia in 1992.