Excursionistas to Honor Diego Fernández Four Decades After His Disappearance

According to Doble Amarilla, Excursionistas is preparing an emotional tribute steeped in memory and symbolism. This Friday, before their Primera B Metropolitana clash with Villa San Carlos, the club from Bajo Belgrano will hold a ceremony in remembrance of Diego Fernández, a youth player who disappeared in 1984 and whose remains were recently identified by the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team in the Coghlan neighborhood.

As part of the event, the club will present Javier Fernández, Diego’s younger brother, with a historic banner once used by the youth divisions between 1978 and 1985. The gesture seeks to reaffirm Diego’s bond with Excursionistas and ensure his story is passed on to future generations of supporters and players.

In an earlier statement, the institution expressed its condolences and the hope that “his soul can finally rest in peace.” Diego’s disappearance at the age of 16 left a lasting mark on Belgrano and Argentine football. A student at ENET No. 36 and a youth player for Excursionistas, he was last seen on July 26, 1984.

The discovery of his remains in May, during the demolition of a house in Coghlan once linked to the family of musician Gustavo Cerati, brought closure to a four-decade search for his relatives. For Excursionistas, it also reopened memories and documents that highlighted the bond between the teenager and the club.

Among those memories is a letter from former club official Daniel Viviani, recalling youth finals where chants were heard as a tribute to Diego. This Friday, that same chant will echo once again, turned into a timeless homage on the field.