August 26, 2022, 8:20 PM
August 26, 2022, 8:20 PM
The South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) and Ecuador signed an agreement on Friday to ratify that the only final of the Copa Libertadores 2022 will be played in the port of Guayaquil on October 29.
The agreement, signed by the president of Conmebol, the Paraguayan Alejandro Domínguez, and authorities from the Ecuadorian government, Guayaquil and the national football team, also confirmed Quito as the venue for this year’s women’s Libertadores, to be played from October 13 to 28.
The celebrations of the final of the Libertadores and its women’s tournament were declared three weeks ago of “national interest” by the government of President Guillermo Lasso.
“We officially welcome you to the stadium” Monumental de Barcelona, said the owner of the club, Alfaro Moreno, in an act held in the middle of the field of that stage in which the winner of the important fight will be defined, for which the Brazilians Palmeiras (current monarch), Flamengo (runner-up ) and Athlético Paranaense, in addition to the Argentinian Vélez Sarsfield.
“With this same emotion we will do it this coming October 29 to all of South America and the entire world,” he added.
That stadium has already hosted two finals of the Libertadores and one of the Copa América. Ecuador also qualified there for the 2022 Qatar World Cup by drawing 1-1 with Argentina on the last date of the qualifier.
The Minister of Sports, Sebastián Palacios, pointed out that his portfolio leads the government’s actions to guarantee the success of the Libertadores final in Guayaquil, a port that is being plagued by crime due to drug trafficking.
In that city, of 2.8 million inhabitants, a state of exception has been in force for two weeks, decreed by Lasso for 30 days, with which he mobilized the military to restore order.
The violence and alleged delays in the remodeling of the stadium, with capacity for almost 60,000 people, they generated versions of a possible change of venue, which was discarded with the agreement signed on Friday with Lasso as honorary witness.
“This is a party that is conquering the eyes of the world”Domínguez said in turn, pointing out that the unique final of the Libertadores-2021 in Montevideo was broadcast live to 201 countries.
“This moves the world,” he added.
The government estimates that some 50,000 people will come to the nation for the match, generating about $60 million.
Lasso expressed that “we await you with open arms in this hospitable city.”
