Right. So, as things stand, this Copa Libertadores final second leg is actually going ahead then…
After the game between Boca Juniors and River Plate was eventually called off a couple of weeks back, there’s been plenty of speculation as to whether or not the game would happen and – just as importantly – where it would be played if it did go ahead.
With CONMEBOL opting against the idea of playing the game in Argentina, it was decided that Santiago Bernabeu, home of Real Madrid, would play host to the game – the first time the a Libertadores match will be played outside of South America.
Not everyone’s happy about it (especially River Plate), but with the game scheduled for Sunday, it seems the final will finally be concluded this weekend.
As if the thought of two fierce local rivals meeting in one of the biggest club games in world football wasn’t already interesting enough, Florentino Perez has reportedly given us another reason to make sure we end up watching it.
The Real Madrid president, who gave his blessing for the game to be played in Madrid, is said to be trying to arrange for Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to sit side by side as they watch the game.
Ronaldo left Madrid in the summer but AS report he will return to the stadium for the first time to watch the game on Sunday after playing for Juventus against Inter Milan on Friday. Messi, who will play for Barcelona against Espanyol on Saturday, will also travel to Madrid for the game.
Perez is said to be trying to arrange for the pair to sit next to each other during the game ‘as a gesture of respect’ for their dominance of world football’s individual awards over the last decade. If they do, it’s an image that’s certain to be splashed across social media as much as anything from the game itself.
