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Copa Libertadores final postponed after bus attack: Conmebol

November 25, 2018
Supporters of River Plate remain in an almost empty stand at the Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, after the all-Argentine Copa Libertadores second leg final match against Boca Juniors was postponed on Sunday. The second leg of the Copa Libertadores final has been postponed for the second time in as many days following an attack on the Boca Juniors team bus by River Plate fans, Conmebol said Sunday.  — AFP
Supporters of River Plate remain in an almost empty stand at the Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, after the all-Argentine Copa Libertadores second leg final match against Boca Juniors was postponed on Sunday. The second leg of the Copa Libertadores final has been postponed for the second time in as many days following an attack on the Boca Juniors team bus by River Plate fans, Conmebol said Sunday. — AFP

BUENOS AIRES — The second leg of the Copa Libertadores final has been postponed for the second time in as many days following an attack on the Boca Juniors team bus by River Plate fans, Conmebol said Sunday.

The match between the Buenos Aires arch-rivals was due to be played at 2000 GMT on Sunday after initially being postponed on Saturday following the attack near River's Monumental stadium, which left Boca players with injuries from shards of broken glass and suffering the effects of smoke inhalation.

"The conditions are not right for the final match. That is why Conmebol have take the decision to postpone the final of the Libertadores and to call a meeting of the presidents of both clubs to find a new date," Conmebol president Alejandro Domínguez said.

The South American federation took the decision after Boca called earlier Sunday for a postponement and demanded that River face a series of punishments including forfeiting the match.

"After the acts of violence suffered in the vicinity of the stadium, Boca... requests the suspension of the game, as well as the application of the corresponding sanctions provided in Article 18," Boca said in a statement on its website.

Among the sanctions available under Conmebol's Article 18 are "disqualification from competitions and exclusion from future competitions".

It includes other options, including the deduction of points and being forced to play a game behind closed doors.

Boca captain Pablo Perez and midfielder Gonzalo Lamardo required hospital treatment after River fans attacked the bus with pepper spray, sticks and stones.

Boca president Daniel Angelici described the scenes on Saturday as "shameful". — AFP


November 25, 2018
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