Soccer - New club built from soy bean fortune growing quickly

Agropecuario's Martin Prost (R) and Almagro's Adrian Torres fight for the ball during their Argentine Second Division match at Ofelia Rosenzuaig stadium in Carlos Casares, Argentina, April 16, 2018. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian

CARLOS CASARES, Argentina (Reuters) - Build it and they will come is a phrase associated with baseball but in Argentina, where football is king, a soy bean millionaire has done just that, building a soccer club from scratch that is now knocking on the door of the country's first division.

Bernardo Grobocopatel, a farmer in Carlos Casares, a small city 186 miles west (300 km) of the capital Buenos Aires, made his fortune from the production and transportation of grains but that wasn't enough for the ambitious football fanatic.

Soy plants are seen at a farm in Carlos Casares, Argentina, April 16, 2018. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian

"We were doing well economically but I felt there was something missing in my life and that was doing what I felt passionate about," Grobocopatel told Reuters, explaining why he started Club Agropecuario Argentino.

"We started from zero, literally from nothing. No players, no pitch, no buildings at all," he said of the $20 million investment that included a brand new stadium for 12,000 people, over half of the entire 20,000 population of the surrounding city.

Argentina is the world's third biggest exporter of soybeans and the biggest international provider of soybean oil and meal.

Children cheer for Agropecuario soccer team during their Argentine Second Division match against Almagro at Ofelia Rosenzuaig stadium in Carlos Casares, Argentina, April 16, 2018. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian

Grobocopatel's (pictured in the accompanying photo) investment has pushed the team to the threshold of Argentina's first division after just six years of existence.

After leading the second tier earlier this year three successive losses have dented their chances a little, but they are still in a dog fight for a coveted playoff place and the chance to face giants such as River Plate and Boca Juniors next year.

(The story corrects capacity of stadium to 12,000 from 20,000)

Bernardo Grobocopatel, owner of Agropecuario soccer team, watches his team play against Almagro in an Argentine Second Division match at Ofelia Rosenzuaig stadium in Carlos Casares, Argentina, April 16, 2018. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian

(Writing by Andrew Downie, Editing by William Maclean)

Bernardo Grobocopatel, owner of Agropecuario soccer team, speaks during an interview with Reuters in Carlos Casares, Argentina, April 16, 2018. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian

Soy beans are seen at a Grobocopatel Hermanos company storage plant in Carlos Casares, Argentina, April 16, 2018. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian

Agropecuario soccer players pose for a team photo before their Argentine Second Division match against Almagro at Ofelia Rosenzuaig stadium in Carlos Casares, Argentina, April 16, 2018. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian

Players of Agropecuario soccer team play during a training in Carlos Casares, Argentina, April 16, 2018. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian

The jerseys of Agropecuario soccer team players are seen in their locker room before their Argentine Second Division match against Almagro at Ofelia Rosenzuaig stadium in Carlos Casares, Argentina, April 16, 2018. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian

A bird flies past grain silos in Carlos Casares, Argentina, April 16, 2018. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian

Young supporters of Agropecuario soccer team play outside the Ofelia Rosenzuaig stadium before a match in Carlos Casares, Argentina, April 16, 2018. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian

Soy plants are seen at a farm in Carlos Casares, Argentina, April 16, 2018. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian

Trucks used to transport grains are seen parked as players of Agropecuario soccer team attend a training in Carlos Casares, Argentina, April 16, 2018. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian