"The matches are won on the field"

The president of the Conmebol, Alejandro Domínguez, "anticipated" today the fate of the second super-finals of the Copa Libertadores by a public letter in which he indicated that, in the spirit of the guardianship body, he is established that "football is not won with stones or aggression, but with the players in the field".

The long letter was published in the meeting to be held tomorrow at 10 am in LuqueConmebol's Paraguayan Headquarters, River Plate Presidents, Rodolfo D'onofrio (already arrived in Asunción), Boca Juniors, Daniel Angelici (will travel tomorrow at the first hour) and the AFA incumbent, Claudio Tapia, with the Domínguez mentioned.

The Paraguayan will hear the exit of River, which will turn around this, unlike what happened during the round of 16 of the 2015 edition, when Boca was sanctioned for an episode of aggression against Rioplatense players with pepper gas. Inside the "xeneize" stadium and what happened Saturday was held outside the jurisdictional circle of Riverplatense, so the responsibility, according to them, lay with the security agencies.

After the scandal of the Superfinal, the Minister of Security of Buenos Aires resigned

For his part, Boca will directly ask that the match be won and that he be champion of the Copa Libertadores for the seventh time, badociating exactly what happened Saturday to what happened there three years ago at La Bombonera.

The full content of Dominguez's letter is centered on sharp criticism of the organization of this Superfinal and, basically, Conmebol's idea of ​​what should be resolved at this meeting.

The full text of the epistle published by Dominguez is as follows:

"Saturday, November 24, will be remembered the history of world football for all the wrong reasons, it was supposed to be a final of the Conmebol Libertadores for the memory, the last in round-trip format.We must fill us with sadness and shame for all, which should provoke deep reflection and serious self-criticism in all clbades, not just football, but society.

Despite the prior agreement of fair play signed by the presidents of the two finalist clubs and all the warnings sent by Conmebol to security officials, the stadium and its surroundings were the scene of violence. irrational and seemingly unpunished towards the players, the public, the children and the families who came peacefully, the authorities, the neighbors. The vandalism events were painful. The barbarism that has taken hold of our football has endangered many lives.

As President of Conmebol, I do everything in my power to ensure the integrity of everyone: players to the public who patiently wait for the distressing circumstances outside the show and the responsibility of Conmebol to be resolved. I called the authorities of both clubs, we waited for the medical reports, we examined the institutional protocols and, finally, in agreement with the two presidents, I made the decisions for the sake of all the persons concerned.

On behalf of the Conmebol, it is also my duty to make those responsible for ensuring the safety of the event and the public order more responsible. It is clear that the protocols failed and that the authorities did not live up to the circumstances. Now, it remains to act immediately to identify, capture and apply the rigor of justice to those who have caused so much damage.

I also call on leaders of River Plate and Boca Juniors to understand that the responsibility they have in their hands goes far beyond simply defending their colors and the interests of their partners. First and foremost, they have a responsibility towards South American football, often devalued and criticized in our countries, but appreciated in the rest of the world.

The same is true for the media, to whom I demand respect, equanimity and perspective to inform the public properly, report the facts, combat misinformation and unmask self-interested visions and misperceptions.

In the Conmebol that I preside, football is not won with stones or aggression. It is won by the players on the field. And more in South America with the quality of our players. In the Conmebol that I preside, the game is played respecting the rival, having fair play as vision on the field, in the stands, the direction.

Finally, I appeal to all players in South American football to prioritize and join forces to identify, understand and combat the causes and acts of violence that tarnish our lives. soccer. There is much more at stake than a sports title. Either all players in South American football join forces to end the violence, or violence will be responsible for ending South American football. " (Télam)