Dani Alves blasts decision to play Boca-River in Madrid
The PSG player said the decision to play the final in Madrid was "the most shameful thing I have seen or will ever see as a football player".
The decision to play the second leg of the Copa Libertadores final in the Santiago Bernabéu on December 9 has not been received well by the two finalists Boca Juniors and River Plate, as well as several sport stars from South America, including Diego Maradona and José Luis Chilavert.
And the latest star to publically express his discontent was PSG and Brazil player Dani Alves, who posted a video Instagram in which he blasted Conmebol’s decision to play the game outside of South America.
“For me, playing Boca-River outside of South America is the most shameful thing I have seen or will ever see as a football player, as a South American, and as someone that considers that this sport should be experienced with feeling, with passion and above all with respect,” said the former Barcelona defender.
“All those people who had nothing to do with what happened should not have to pay over a few ignorant people. Maybe they only had this chance to see a Boca-River final and they would not be able to see it because they have moved it to Europe.”
Conmebol made the controversial decision to move the fixture to Madrid after the game had to be cancelled twice in less than a week, following attacks on both occasions on the Boca Juniors team bus as it made its way to River’s Monumental stadium. Alves went on to say that he hoped the game in Madrid would not go ahead out of respect for the majority of fans who had nothing to do with the attacks.
“I’m not supposed to have anything to do with this, but as a South American player and as a lover of football and healthy rivalry, I felt it was my right and an obligation to express my opinion,” he concluded.
“I hope this is not played for the good of football and out of respect of those who had nothing to do with what happened.”
