Breaking News

Copa Libertadores: River Plate v Boca Juniors moved to Bernabeu in Madrid

The second leg of the Copa Libertadores final between Boca Juniors and River Plate has been moved more than 6,000 miles away to the Bernabeu in Madrid.




The Buenos Aires derby was postponed last weekend, following an attack on the Boca team bus by River Plate fans.

Boca players suffered cuts from the glass from broken windows and were also affected by the tear gas used by police to disperse the crowds.

The match will now take place on Sunday, 9 December (19:30 GMT). 

The Copa Libertadores is the showpiece club competition in South America, equivalent to the Champions League in Europe. 

Both sets of supporters will be given an equal allocation of tickets for the match in the Spanish capital.

Conmebol, South American football's governing body, rejected Boca's appeal to be awarded the trophy without playing.

The fixture had been poised to be the biggest club match in the 127-year history of Argentine football, and the first leg ended 2-2.

But it was marred by the attack which led to a number of players, including Boca's former Manchester City, Manchester United and Juventus striker Carlos Tevez, reportedly suffering from dizziness and vomiting and being treated by club doctors.

The mayor of Buenos Aires, Horacio Rodriguez Larreta, said River Plate hooligans described as the "mafia of Argentine soccer" were behind the attack.

It came a day after police raided the house of a leader of the Barra Brava - the powerful and violent wing of River's hardcore support - and confiscated 10m pesos (£207,285) and 300 tickets for the final.

River Plate have been fined £312,734 on account of the violence, and the prime minister of Spain, Pedro Sanchez, has since tweeted: "Spain is ready to organise the final of the Copa Libertadores between Boca Juniors and River Plate. 

"The security forces have extensive experience of these situations and are already working on the necessary deployments to ensure the event is secure."

Courtesy BBC

No comments