Estudiantes de La Plata
Estudiantes de La Plata is an Argentine sports club from La Plata. Its most famous team plays football in the Primera División. The club is known as Los Pincharratas (The Rat Stabbers) and El León (The Lion). It was founded on August 4, 1905, after breaking away from Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata. Their home stadium is the Estadio Jorge Luis Hirschi, which seats about 32,500 fans.
Estudiantes has a storied history. They were the first club outside the traditional big five to win a national league title in 1967. They then won the Copa Libertadores three years in a row (1968–1970) and the Intercontinental Cup in 1968. The club also won domestic titles in 1982 and 1983. Under coach Osvaldo Zubeldía, the team became known for tactical innovation and intense play. Later figures like Carlos Bilardo, Diego Simeone, and Alejandro Sabella continued to shape the club’s success and its influence on Argentine football.
In 2006, Estudiantes won the Apertura under Simeone, and in 2009 they won the Copa Libertadores again, earning a spot in the FIFA Club World Cup, where they finished as runners-up to Barcelona. They won the 2010 Apertura as part of another successful period.
The club’s colors are red and white, inspired by the legendary Alumni team. The nickname Pincharratas comes from a market worker who chased rats in the early days; fans also call the team El Pincha, El León, and the pride of La Plata. Their main local rival is Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata, and their matches are known as the Clasico Platense.
Beyond football, Estudiantes competes in other sports such as basketball, field hockey, tennis, and swimming. The club has a strong national following and is known for developing talented players who move on to success in Argentina and abroad. The current president is Juan Sebastián Verón, a former Estudiantes star, and the manager is Eduardo Domínguez.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 12:59 (CET).