By Samindra Kunti
January 25 – Hosts Brazil were handed a dream draw for the 2019 Copa America as they were paired with Peru, Venezuela and Bolivia in Group A. The Brazilians will kick off the three-week long tournament against Bolivia on June 14 in Sao Paulo.
By Samindra Kunti in Madrid
November 10 – River Plate won the Copa Libertadores for a fourth time by defeating arch rivals Boca Juniors 3-1 in extra-time on Sunday in the dramatic, rearranged final in Madrid. But even this finale was subject to a last gasp appeal to CAS by Boca to suspend the match.
By Samindra Kunti in Madrid
December 7 – On Sunday, at last, the final of all finals will come to an end as River Plate and Boca Juniors face off for glory in the Copa Libertadores in Madrid. Governing body Conmebol shifted the game over security concerns to the Spanish capital, where a huge security operation is underway.
December 7 – Peruvian Football Federation president Edwin Oviedo (pictured) has been arrested over his alleged role in a criminal network that paid for several judges to attend last summer’s World Cup, Peru’s first appearance in the finals for 36 years.
December 7 – Tite and the Brazilian national team will not meet with newly elected president Jair Bolsonaro before or after the Copa America, the Brazil coach has said. Before the World Cup in Russia Tite had also refused to meet outgoing president Michel Temer.
December 6 – After all the criticism about playing on neutral ground thousands of miles from Buenos Aires, Boca Juniors and River Plate have both arrived in Madrid for the eagerly anticipated twice postponed Copa Libertadores final second leg.
December 5 – Diego Maradona has waded into the row over switching the second leg of the Copa Libertadores final between Boca Juniors and River Plate to Madridwith some choice words against Conmebol president Alejandro Dominguez.
December 4 – As the search for a solution to the contentious Copa Libertadores second leg rumbles on, River Plate coach Marcelo Gallardo (pictured) has accused Conmebol of “robbing the fans” with its decision to move the twice postponed fixture to Madrid.
December 3 – So where now? After Conmebol finally agreed to play the second leg of the twice postponed Copa Libertadores final between Boca Juniors and River Plate in Madrid on December 9, River Plate have objected to the venue saying the decision is “incomprehensible”.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 30 – After a series of twists, turns, disagreements and crisis meetings, the second leg of the twice postponed Copa Libertadores final between Boca Juniors and River Plate will be switched to Europe and played more than 6,000 miles away in Madrid on December 9.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 29 – Qatar, which has staged a number of international matches featuring overseas teams, is emerging as a possible venue for the twice-postponed Copa Libertadores showdown between River Plate and Boca Juniors following Conmebol’s decision to play the decisive second leg outside of Argentina.
November 27 – Argentina’s president has called for fresh laws that would crack down on football hooliganism in the wake of the twice-postponed Copa Libertadores second leg at the weekend.
November 27 – The Italian city of Genoa has offered to host the twice-postponed Copa Libertadores final between River Plate and Boca Juniors, stressing the role immigrants from the city had in founding the two Buenos Aires arch rivals.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 26 – It should have been a celebration of the most prestigious and important club match of the entire South American football calendar, eagerly anticipated by millions of armchair television viewers as well as fans those of the two teams involved.
November 26 – Can there ever be redemption after losing a World Cup semi-final 7-1 on home soil? Perhaps not, but Luiz Felipe Scolari must have felt a measure of satisfaction as he led Palmeiras to the Brazilian championship on Sunday, just months after having joined the Sao Paulo club.