The 'final to end all finals' is finally going to end, as CONMEBOL today announced that the second leg of the Copa Libertadores final between River Plate and Boca Juniors will take place at Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday, December 9th. Kick off is 7.45pm Irish time.
The first leg at Boca's Bomobonera ended 2-2, having been delayed 24 hours by a biblical deluge of rain. The second leg was postponed 24 hours, too, after Boca's players were injured on their way to the initial fixture last Saturday at the Monumental. Windows of their bus were shattered by River fans, leaving a couple of Boca players with lacerations. Tear gas then seeped into the bus, meaning a number of players arrived at the ground vomiting, with eyes streaming. After an-hours long delay, the game was finally postponed 24 hours. Amid Boca's protestatinos that they were still unfit to play the game, the game was called off again.
With emotions running vertiginously high, governing body have decided to play the game away from Buenos Aires - 6,237 miles away, to be precise.
It was thought that the game would go ahead in Doha, Qatar, but it has now been confirmed that the game goes ahead in the Spanish captial.
Apparently, CONMEBOL were eager for the game to at least remain in South America, but FIFA pushed that it would be staged elsewhere.
The game is tied at 2-2 from the first leg, and there is no away goals rule in play.
This year is the final time the Copa final will be played on a two-legged, home and away basis - from next year it will be a one-off game at a neutral venue. With the result from the first leg and the shenanigans ahead of the second leg last weekend, that's essentially what has happened.
