AFP, Madrid :
Six thousand miles away and 15 days later than planned, the Copa Libertadores final between Boca Juniors and River Plate will be concluded.
There have been refusals, complaints and threats to go to court, but the players of Boca and River, Argentina’s two greatest football rivals, landed in Madrid and all indications are the second leg will be played.
Both teams trained on Thursday, Boca at the Spanish national team’s base at Las Rozas and River at Real Madrid’s Valdebebas, with the players appearing in good spirits, laughing and joking, jumping on each other’s backs.
There was even a smattering of fans waiting outside, some holding flags or notebooks open for autographs, even if it was a world away from the rocking Bombonera, packed out for an open training session before the original fixture was due last month.
That game had to be postponed, three times, after River fans injured Boca players during an attack on their team’s bus. It could have been cancelled, or awarded to Boca, but CONMEBOL, the South American football federation, chose to relocate to Spain.
A final at the Santiago Bernabeu should be something to savour, particularly when it is the Copa Libertadores at stake on Sunday, the most prestigious prize in South American club football.
Instead, as players finished training and spoke to journalists, the sense of regret became clear. “It is a weird final,” said Carlos Tevez, once of Manchester United and Manchester City, and now a striker for Boca. “To play a match between Boca and River in Madrid, it’s weird.”
River goalkeeper Franco Armani said: “We would have liked to play the game at home, on our pitch, in front of our fans, who deserve it, but the decision is made. We have to make the best of it.”
CONMEBOL pointed to Madrid as a “neutral” host city, with the largest Argentinian community outside Argentina, and a long and successful tradition of football. It will host the Champions League final in June too.
For many, however, this was the most important match in Argentina’s history and its removal a national embarrassment. After all, the Copa Libertadores was named after those that secured independence from countries like Spain in the early nineteenth century.
“Unfortunately for me, this match has lost importance in my heart,” said Real Madrid’s Argentinian coach Santiago Solari on Wednesday.
Boca and River had initially refused. Boca believe River should have forfeited the trophy and have said they will take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Depending on the result this weekend, they still might.
