March 7, 1999, is forever etched in the history of Racing Club because on that day the team could not debut in the tournament against Talleres de Córdoba due to the institution's bankruptcy. Nevertheless, thousands of fans went to the stadium, filled the Cilindro de Avellaneda, and staged one of the greatest displays of love in Argentine football. 'I don't forget that day, when 'an old crazy woman said',' sing the fans of La Academia, referencing a phrase by Liliana Ripoll about the club's disappearance. But today, the Argentine News Agency is going to reveal something few know: thanks to the syndic today, Racing fans have their day. Lalín and the judge wanted to close the stadium. Racing fans celebrate their day. No other stadium had ever had so many people. That afternoon of March 7, 1999, was marked as one of the most emotional moments in Racing's history. Over time, that 1999 day became the 'Day of the Racing Fan,' a symbol of resistance and belonging for La Academia. 'More dangerous is not to open the stadium: it will be opened no matter what.' Finally, Judge Gorostegui gave the green light to open the stadium, although he clarified that the responsibility would fall on her. The order that changed history. The Racing crowd, before the match against Flamengo. Argentine News Agency/Claudio Fanchi. After hanging up, Ripoll contacted the club and gave the order to prepare everything to open the stadium. The next day, the unthinkable happened: despite the match not being played, the Cilindro de Avellaneda was filled with fans who sang for hours to show that the club was still alive. A day when the team didn't play, but its people won forever. Two hours of calls and a key conversation. From the offices of the state agency Telám, a journalist tried to confirm the information for almost two hours with the syndicate handling the club's judicial process, Liliana Ripoll. When she finally managed to speak with her and read the communiqué circulating in the media, the reaction was immediate: Ripoll exploded with anger. At that very moment, with the journalist still on the line, she used her home phone to call the case judge, Enrique Gorostegui. 'The stadium will be opened no matter what.' During the conversation, Ripoll was direct: 'How are they not going to open the stadium?' she demanded of the magistrate. According to the judge, the problem was that there was no money to pay for the necessary security operation to open the stadium. It was an excuse; the plan for Racing to keep falling was firmer than ever. The syndic's response was blunt: 'There's no need for a security operation, the people won't break anything. In that message, it was stated that the stadium would remain closed and fans were advised not to attend. The decision was linked to the complex judicial context the institution was going through after its bankruptcy declaration. However, behind that afternoon, there is a little-known story that happened just 24 hours before. On March 6, 1999, the club's leadership, still under the 'residual' management of Daniel Lalín, sent a press release to the media via fax.
