Author: Soorya G
The Conmebol Council is due to meet soon, and one of the topics on the agenda is the possibility of moving the Copa Sudamericana final to Montevideo. The match is scheduled for October 28 and will feature a Brazilian team, Fortaleza or Corinthians, who will face each other in the semi-finals.
The reason for this possible change is not entirely clear, but it is related to the stadium that will host the game in the Uruguayan capital. So far, the confederation has not decided between the Centenario, with a capacity of 60,000, and Parque Central, owned by Nacional, with a capacity of 40,000. The impasse has reached such a point that the leadership of the South American confederation is considering moving the match to Montevideo, an event that has been scheduled since March. Asunción, Paraguay, where Conmebol’s headquarters are located, would be a viable option.
Holding the final at the Maracanã, taking advantage of the fact that the Copa Libertadores final will be held there, was not discussed for sporting reasons, since a Brazilian club, Fortaleza or Corinthians, will be in the final against an Argentinian team, Defensa y Justicia, or the Ecuadorian team LDU. There are several reasons for the delay in announcing the venue for the final. One of them is the Uruguayan league calendar, which has scheduled the country’s biggest derby, Nacional vs. Peñarol, for the weekend of October 28, which under normal circumstances would be held at Parque Central, Nacional’s home.
Conmebol requires that the stadium hosting the final be exclusive to the event from 15 days before the match – which means there will be no Nacional vs. Peñarol at Parque Central if that stadium is chosen for the Copa Sudamericana. The main reason, as reported, was to wait for the semi-finalists to be determined to see the profile of these teams and their ability to bring fans to Montevideo.
It was reported that the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) informed Conmebol that it could be insufficient if Corinthians reached the final. The first leg of the semi-final between Fortaleza and Corinthians will take place at the Neo Química Arena in São Paulo on September 26, and the second leg at the Castelão Arena on October 3. The other semi-final will be between Defensa y Justicia and LDU, who eliminated Botafogo and São Paulo in the quarter-finals respectively.
UPDATE – As a result, the final has been moved to the Estadio Domingo Burgueño “El Campus” in Maldonado Punta del Este. It was built in 1994 and has a capacity for 25,000 spectators. This is Deportivo Maldonado’s stadium.