For the first time, only teams from two countries are in the quarter-finals of the Copa Libertadores. For the coach of Boca Juniors, his tenure came to a curious end
Only teams from Brazil and Argentina are still in the quarter-finals of the 63rd edition of the Copa Libertadores. The fact that only representatives from two countries are still in the last eight is unprecedented in the history of the competition. In the round of 16, which ended on Friday night, the last clubs from other countries – EMELEC Guayaquil (Ecuador), Libertad Asuncion, Cerro Porteno Asuncion (both Paraguay) and Deportes Tolima Ibaque (Colombia) – were eliminated.
The quarter-finals, which will be played in August, now feature five teams from Brazil and three from Argentina – but for the first time since 2014, neither of the two traditional top teams from Buenos Aires. River Plate were beaten by Velez Sarsfield in the city duel, while Boca Juniors were eliminated on penalties by Corinthians Sao Paulo.
For Boca Juniors coach Sebastian Battaglia, the exit also meant the end of his tenure – in an unusual place. After losing the penalty shootout on Wednesday, the 41-year-old was already on his way home when the board called him in for a stopover at a petrol station in the north of Buenos Aires. Battaglia was then dismissed there. “It’s history now, and that’s how it happened,” he confirmed the day after.
