Xinhua, Montevideo :
A decision to play the second leg of the Copa Libertadores final between River Plate and Boca Juniors in Madrid is “irreversible”, the head of the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) said on Saturday.
The comments came just hours after River Plate rebuked an agreement to shift the match to Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Dec. 9.
The fixture between Argentina’s biggest rivals was suspended on Nov. 24 after Boca’s team bus was attacked with stones and bottles as it approached River’s Monumental stadium in the northern districts of Buenos Aires.
Several Boca players were injured by broken glass while others – including former Argentina international forward Carlos Tevez – were affected by tear gas fired by police to disperse fans.
The match was rescheduled for the next day but was postponed again just hours before kickoff. The first leg at Boca’s La Bombonera ended in a 2-2 draw.
“If there’s one thing I’m sure of, it’s that the game is going to be played in Madrid, that’s irreversible,” CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez told reporters before the under-17 women’s World Cup final in Montevideo.
