Clemente Rodríguez: A Boca Juniors Roller Coaster to São Paulo

Clemente Rodríguez is a guy who knows exactly what the atmosphere is like in this heated matchup between Boca Juniors and São Paulo. A native of Boca, the left-back had a remarkable career there, winning three Libertadores and then, in 2013, moved to the Tricolor, where his stint was anything but smooth!

Clemente’s Career at Boca Juniors

The Argentine stepped onto Boca’s professional pitch in 2000 and had three spells with the club. It was almost 280 matches and 11 goals wearing the iconic xeneize shirt. During that time, he lifted the Libertadores trophy in 2001, 2003 and 2007 and also won the Intercontinental Cup in 2003.

He didn’t just do well at Boca, he also shone in the Libertadores. In 2012, he was named the best fullback of the competition, even though Boca lost the final to Corinthians. When he arrived at São Paulo, he was already the Argentine with the most appearances in the tournament’s history.

Arriving at the Tricolor

After leaving Boca for the first time in 2004, Clemente went through teams such as Spartak Moscow, Espanyol, and Estudiantes, and returned home in 2010. But in 2013, the opportunity came to play for São Paulo, and he was signed in June, with no cost.

At his introduction, Clemente said: “My story at Boca was made of titles, and now I hope to build a new winning cycle within São Paulo.”

A Tense Start at São Paulo

Unfortunately, the beginning at São Paulo was quite complicated. Before he even played, he was already serving a Conmebol suspension, the result of a sending-off in a match against Newell’s Old Boys during the Libertadores of 2013. He received four games of suspension and, for that reason, he couldn’t take the field in the Copa Sul-Americana Recopa against Corinthians. São Paulo even tried for a stay of the ban, but it didn’t work, and they were defeated in both matches, with an aggregate of 4 to 1.

When he finally got to debut, it was against Bahia, but the first impression wasn’t the best: he was sent off, along with Luis Fabiano, who also saw red. Result? The Tricolor lost at home.

Farewell to His Time at Morumbi

The situation only got worse in the following months. Unable to establish himself in the team and losing playing time, Clemente wrapped up his São Paulo stint with just three matches played. Far from the success he had imagined, his cycle at Morumbi didn’t compare to the glorious days at the Bombonera.

Next Challenge

This Tuesday, the ball will roll for the much-anticipated clash between São Paulo and Boca Juniors at 21h30 (Brasília time), at the Morumbi. The Tricolor needs to win by two or more goals to secure qualification in normal time. A victory by a single goal sends everything to the penalties. Will Clemente be rooting for his former club, or will he support his new home? Let’s find out!