Asuncion: The twice-postponed second leg of the Copa Libertadores final between fierce local rivals River Plate and Boca Juniors will be played next month outside Argentina, South American football administrators Conmebol said on Tuesday.
But Boca Juniors president Daniel Angelici said he will take an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport if necessary to back up his argument that River should be disqualified after violence from their fans at the weekend, and the trophy awarded to his side.
Following a meeting with the two Argentine clubs’ presidents in the Paraguayan capital Asuncion, Conmebol said the match would take place on “December 8 or 9 outside Argentina” at an as yet undecided venue.
The original second-leg clash between the two Buenos Aires clubs at the weekend was postponed twice after Boca players were injured in an attack on their team bus by River fans using pepper spray and throwing stones and sticks.
Conmebol president Alejandro Dominguez told reporters that “the final cannot be played in Argentina.”
A Conmebol statement said that due to the “violence... that put players, officials and fans at risk... it would not be prudent to play the final in” Argentina.
The tie is delicately poised following a 2-2 draw at Boca’s Bombonera stadium just over two weeks ago.
The second leg had to be postponed after Boca players suffered cuts from broken glass and from smoke inhalation when their bus was attacked by River fans on the way to the Monumental Stadium in the Argentine capital on Saturday.
‘Shameful betrayal’
The match was originally put off for 24 hours before Conmebol announced on Sunday that it was being suspended indefinitely ahead of Tuesday’s meeting at their headquarters in Asuncion.
Dominguez had praised the teams’ presidents on Saturday for coming to “a gentleman’s agreement” in agreeing to delay the match.
But Angelici petitioned the continent’s governing body to award them the trophy.
“We have no intention of playing another final,” he said, vowing to “exhaust all administrative avenues” to get his way.
On Monday, his River counterpart Rodolfo D’Onofrio blasted Angelici’s “betrayal” and branded him “shameful.”
“I’m struggling to believe he cannot keep his promise,” D’Onofrio fumed on Radio Mitre.
“We signed a document and we shook hands.”
Boca have asked Conmebol to apply Article 18 of the body’s rules which includes provisions for possible punishments, including forfeiting a match.
Conmebol’s disciplinary commission opened a dossier on Monday evening, giving River 24 hours to present their defence.
Both Argentina President Mauricio Macri, a fan and former president of Boca, and the mayor of Buenos Aires, Horacio Rodriguez Larreta, have accepted responsibility for the “security failure”.
On Monday, the security minister for the Argentine capital, Martin Ocampo, resigned.
Three years ago, Boca were kicked out of the Copa Libertadores at the last 16 stage after an attack by their fans on River players at half-time of their second-leg clash at the Bombonera.
The game was suspended with River given a walkover and they went on to lift the trophy for the third time.
That time, the attack happened inside the ground where security is the club’s responsibility, whereas on Saturday it took place in the streets, where the state has jurisdiction. — AFP
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
