Boca Juniors achieved their very first championship in 1919 after they defeat Sportivo Almagro 4-0. With a record of 7 wins out of 7 games played in the competition, Boca would springboard into an immensely successful decade in their history. In the same year, Boca claimed three other titles, the Copa de Competencia Jockey Club and the Copa Dr. Carlos Ibarguren (both domestic competitions and both versus the same rival and score – Rosario Central, 1-0), and the last edition of the Tie Cup to be played with a defeat of Uruguayans, Nacional. 1919 remains the most successful year in the illustrious history of the club. Boca followed up with a second league championship the following season, with  2-0 victory against Banfield. That season, Boca played a total of 24 games, winning 20 and losing just 1.

 

Then in 1923 the club won a third Primera Division title, but it didn’t come easy. In fact, it took four matches for a champion to emerge between Boca and Huracan. Boca claimed the first game, but Huracan won the second leg. The third game ended in a draw and therefore a fourth match had to be held, which Boca Juniors finally won 2-0, Garsini scoring both goals. A third Copa Ibarguren followed that year, before Boca were crowned unbeaten league champions in 1924, winning 18 of 19 matches and scoring 67 goals. They collected a fourth Copa Ibarguren with a 5-1 thrashing of Roasario Central, before embarking on an immensely successful tour of Europe in 1925, following on the footsteps of Uruguayan club Nacional who had toured Europe a few months earlier.

 

They became the first Argentine team to play on the continent, competing in a series of 19 friendly matches in Spain, Germany and France. Players from other clubs were added to an already star-studded team especially for the tour, including Manuel Seoane from El Porvenir, Casareo Onzari from Huracan and Luis Vaccaro from Argentinos Juniors. Seoane turned out to be the top scorer on the tour, netting 12 times in his 16 games.  A crowd of 25,000 turned up to witness Boca defeat Celta de Vigo, a match in which Seoane became the first Argentine to score in Europe, just two minutes in. The teams played each other again before Boca moved on to play Deportivo la Coruna, winning both games. It was then on to the capital where the team defeated both Atletico and Real Madrid, the referee stopping the game ten minutes in to allow the players to salute King Alfonso XIII, who was spectating. Boca played several more games in Spain including wins over RCD Espanyol and a combined Catalonian team.

 

It was then on to Germany with games against Bayern Munich and a Nord West combination, before a 7-0 destruction of SpVgg Greuther Furth.  Two more positive results in Germany allowed the team to play a combined French team in Paris, whom they beat 4-2. It took the club a month to get back to Argentina, where they received a hero’s welcome and were crowned “Champions of Honor” by the AFA. In recognition of their great tour campaign. Previously, Boca Juniors were simply a neighbourhood team representing La Boca. Following the tour however, the club became a national institution, with fans throughout the country, and eventually the world. Even more success followed, including a fifth Primera Liga unbeaten in 1926, another league title in 1927, another Copa Jockey Club and a Copa Estimulo, ending as one of the most successful teams of the decade.

Achievements: Argentine Primera Division – Champions x6
                       Copa de Competencia Jockey Club: Winners x2
                      Copa Dr Carlos Ibarguen – Winners x3
                     Tie Cup – Winners x1
                     Copa de Coursenier – Winners x1

Star player: Alfredo Garasini DoB 1 June 1897, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Garasini dedicated his entire life to Boca Juniors. He rose through the clubs junior ranks  before breaking into the senior team in 1916 and was top scorer in the 1919 season in which Boca won four trophies. Garasini played in every position, starting at centre-back, then forward, dropping back to midfield and even covering as a goalkeeper when Tesoriere was injured. He was also the teams masseur. He did briefly leave the club for two seasons, before returning to Boca and staying until his retirement in 1928. During this second tenure with the club, he was part of the touring party that undertook the succesful European tour of 1925. He played 160 games for Boca Juniors and scored 56 goals. He also won the 1925 South American Championship with Argentina, scoring in the final. He became Boca’s manager from 1943 to 1946, winning two titles and going 23 matches unbeaten. Garasini was a member of the Boca Juniors family up until the moment of his death. He was serving as a member of the coaching staff when he passed away in 1950. He is one of 8 people in Boca history to win titles as a player and as a manager.