Estudiantes claimed the Argentina Apertura title on Sunday – their fifth league championship – with Rodrigo Lopez of Uruguay scoring twice in the final 15 minutes to defeat Arsenal 2-0.
“This title is a result of how well we played all season,” Lopez said. “I should not get the credit. It goes to my teammates. All this came from sacrifice and the hard work of everyone.”
Estudiantes finished with 45 points, two more than Velez. Velez defeated Racing 2-0 on Sunday in a match played at the same time.
With Velez winning, and Estudiantes only managing a draw until late in the game, the championship seemed to be headed to a playoff to decide the title until Lopez struck
Estudiantes won the Apertura title in 2006 and then captured the Copa Libertadores in 2009.
“This is incredible, there are no words to describe it,” said Juan Sebastian Veron, the’s club playmaker. “We worked so hard. There is no doubt we were the best.”
Estudiantes are the eighth different club to win the title in eight seasons.
The most pressing question for the club concerns the future of Estudiantes’ coach Alejandro Sabella, who has been widely tipped to take over at River Plate, which has been without a permanent coach since Angel Cappa resigned last month.
Estudiantes vice president Marcelo Malaespina has said he expects Sabella to honour his contract, which expires in June.
