Supporters
Within the La Plata area, Estudiantes was traditionally regarded as the club of the working class, while rival side Gimnasia y Esgrima was identified with the middle class. This characterization seems to be outdated. While the two clubs have roughly the same pull in and around La Plata, Estudiantes has more of a nation-wide following, especially after its international successes in the 1960s. There used to be much discussion about which club has the larger following, but Estudiantes seems to have pulled forward.
For several periods in the club's history, a cadre of fans from Buenos Aires (los porteños) were a powerful element within the base. A famous fan since the 1960s is Raúl Bernechea, known as el pelapapas (the "potato peeler") after his job as a kitchen hand, famous for lighting bonfires during games, juggling and performing other stunts .
Author Ernesto Sabato was an Estudiantes sympathizer, and was honored with a ceremony where he was given a No. 10 jersey. Arturo Jauretche mentioned Estudiantes in one of his books .
Other noted fans include tennis player Juan Mónaco, actor Jorge D'Elía, filmmaker and politician Fernando Solanas, and journalist Osvaldo Príncipi.
In the 1983 presidential election, Estudiantes fans were, together with their peers from Vélez Sársfield, the first to voice their support for eventual winner Raúl Alfonsín in his bid against the Peronistas. The friendship with Vélez supporters has since vanished, especially after an Estudiantes win denied Vélez the 2003 championship.
Estudiantes is on friendly terms with several clubs from the South side of Greater Buenos Aires; especially Quilmes and Témperley. Platense, from the North side of Greater Buenos Aires, held a special place in the hearts of Estudiantes fans, as it cemented Gimnasia's relegation in 1979 (Platense currently plays in the lower divisions).
Estudiantes is also friendly with the Uruguayan fan base of Peñarol, once their classic Libertadores rivals.
Estudiantes shares colors with Spanish side Athletic Bilbao, and during a period in the 1950s, both institutions shared a reputation for confronting the government (Bilbao as a Basque nationalist side against the Franco regime, and Estudiantes against Peronism). During these times, Bilbao donated a set of jerseys to Estudiantes. The relationship has been rekindled in the 2000s through Argentine expatriates and partisan blogs .
Read more about this topic: Estudiantes De La Plata
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