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River Plate will refuse to play the postponed Copa Libertadores final second leg in Madrid after issuing a statement to claim that they are “in no way responsible” for the ugly and violent scenes that led to last weekend’s abandonment in Buenos Aires.
The second-leg was abandoned at Monumental Stadium after Boca Juniors team coach was attacked by River fans, while violent clashes with police left a number of players suffering the effects of tear gas.
Conmenbol responded to the unacceptable scenes by rescheduling the match for 9 December in Madrid, away from those responsible for the fan violence, but River Plate have said that they will refuse to play the match more than 6,200 miles in Spain.
Show all 24 1 /24Fans take centre stage at Boca-River Superclasico Fans take centre stage at Boca-River Superclasico Boca fans cheer ahead of the first leg of the Copa Libertadores final They call it the greatest rivalry in football and the people who watch it the greatest fans in the world
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Fans take centre stage at Boca-River Superclasico Members of the Ituzaingo official River Plate supporters club fall over their leader Mauro Lezama They are calling the meeting of Argentina's Boca Juniors and River Plate the greatest final ever
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Fans take centre stage at Boca-River Superclasico A Boca Juniors fan kisses a crucifix While Europe has the Champions League with money, glamour, and organisation, the Copa Libertadores played in South America is all about grit, passion and unpredictability
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Fans take centre stage at Boca-River Superclasico Sofia Deketele, who was covered with paint and eggs because she just became a doctor, holds a sign with the River Plate flag that reads "Doctor Deketele" The second leg match between Argentina's two biggest clubs - known as the Superclasico - is almost as much about the fans as the players. The threat of chaos, both on and off the field, is omnipresent
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Fans take centre stage at Boca-River Superclasico A young Boca fan sits on a t-shirt his father hung on the safety fencing The two teams drew the first leg 2-2 at Boca's hallowed Bombonera ground in Buenos Aires on Nov. 11
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Fans take centre stage at Boca-River Superclasico River Plate fans cheer as they wait for their team bus to leave for the first leg match The decisive second leg takes place at River Plate's Monumental stadium on the other side of town
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Fans take centre stage at Boca-River Superclasico Boca Juniors arrive at the La Bombonera stadium ahead of the first leg For the most passionate of followings, it is all or nothing
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Fans take centre stage at Boca-River Superclasico River Plate fan Vicente Zucala at his home in Escobar "This is a very important match, we cannot lose," said Vicente Zucala, a 29-year old blind fan of River Plate. "If we lose, we're done, it will all be over."
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Fans take centre stage at Boca-River Superclasico Boca fans climb the fence before the first leg match Boca have won the Libertadores six times and River have won it three, but this is the first time in the competition's 58-year they have met in the final
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Fans take centre stage at Boca-River Superclasico River Plate fan Emanuel Torri walks in the rain showing his tattoo that reads "River Plate" Both matches were sold out, with people coming from all over the world just to soak up the atmosphere
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Fans take centre stage at Boca-River Superclasico A Ford Falcon car decorated with the River Plate colours "River Plate for me is my life, my passion," said Byron Stuardo Alquijay, a 33-year old who came from Guatemala. "I had to sell my car to come here. I might buy another car in the future but this match will never be repeated."
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Fans take centre stage at Boca-River Superclasico Residents play soccer in the La Boca neighbourhood Unlike in the past, when rival fans could occupy either end of the stadium praying for a chance to taunt their opponents, only home fans have tickets for the final's two matches
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Fans take centre stage at Boca-River Superclasico River Plate fans take selfies outside the Monumental stadium Away fans have been banned from Argentine derby matches because of recurring trouble between competing sets of barras bravas, the name given to the organised fan groups who roar their support from the terraces
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Fans take centre stage at Boca-River Superclasico An image of Diego Maradona on a timber sheet inside a Coventillo "The Superclasico between Boca and River is so important because the fans are so passionate," said Cayetano Milon, a 51-year old Boca fan who runs a shop next to the Bombonera
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Fans take centre stage at Boca-River Superclasico Silvia, 58, the owner of Matias Parrilla, who cooks for Boca fans next to La Bombonera stadium That rawness is what appeals to many old-school fans and what makes the Libertadores so different from the Champions League and European football in general
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Fans take centre stage at Boca-River Superclasico Twin brothers watch the first leg On the field it is unpredictable - 18 different sides have made it to the last 10 Libertadores finals, compared to just 10 in the Champions League
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Fans take centre stage at Boca-River Superclasico Victor, 80, poses inside the pharmacy he used to own in the La Boca neighbourhood Off the field, there is a different level of commitment, even for those used to Kop at Liverpool, the Yellow Wall at Borussia Dortmund, or fireworks and fervour in the Balkans
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Fans take centre stage at Boca-River Superclasico La Bombonera stadium Grounds such as La Bombonera are steeped in history, even though many are ramshackle and run down and often lacking proper seats, proper cover and even proper toilets. Many of the stadiums are part of the community and remain in the same place they were built decades ago, still hemmed in by houses and shops
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Fans take centre stage at Boca-River Superclasico Boca fans eat on a street ahead of the first leg The fans are separated from the players by moats, running tracks or chain-link fences. Sometimes the corners are fitted with perspex to stop drinks and bodily fluids raining down on opposition players
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Fans take centre stage at Boca-River Superclasico A cat sits underneath a poster of the Boca Juniors team from 1998/99 In the Libertadores, pitches are not always pristine, tackles from behind are common, and it is normal to see the matches end with officials surrounded by riot police, their shields protecting them from fans and players
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Fans take centre stage at Boca-River Superclasico Miguel Aguirre sits outside his home covered with the colours of River Plate The South American Football Confederation wants to make the competition more like the Champions League - a tough task given their prize money is only one-tenth of their European counterparts
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Fans take centre stage at Boca-River Superclasico Residents drink amongst Boca memorabilia inside Ribera Sur bar One of the big changes is to end the home-and-away format for the final and make it a one-off event in a neutral venue
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Fans take centre stage at Boca-River Superclasico Virulaso, 60, a former football hooligan and Boca fan The change will take effect next year and has infuriated fans who say the distances and costs involved will rob ordinary supporters of the chance to see their team in the biggest match of the season, and perhaps of their lives. It also means this Boca-River showdown is the last of its kind. This weekend therefore carries a special poignancy for fans of both teams
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Fans take centre stage at Boca-River Superclasico Boca fans from the same family play in the street "Personally, I don't like the River-Boca matches," said River fan Maria Fe Diaz, whose father once had a heart attack during a derby match. "They are too stressful for me. I didn't want this match to happen. I don't know how I'm going to make it until Saturday."
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The statement labelled the decision “incomprehensible”, and said that it “distorts the competition” as it denies all fans the chance to see what is the biggest club game seen in Argentine football history.
"Argentine football as a whole and the Argentine Football Association cannot and should not allow a handful of violent [fans] to impede the development of the Superclasico in our country," the statement read.
"The club understands that the decision (to play in Madrid) ... adversely affects those who bought tickets and also upsets the idea of equal conditions by taking away home advantage."
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