Carlos Tevez has admitted that it will be weird to be playing the Copa Libertadores final at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The Real Madrid home stadium has been chosen as the destination for the final due to violence issues at the El Monumental stadium of River Plate. A Boca Juniors team bus was attacked last month and it was decided to move the final to a neutral venue in order to avoid another clash. Boca Juniors requested the title to be awarded on the basis of a no-show but this has been rejected.
However, Boca Juniors legend Carlos Tevez says that it will be difficult to play the final in a neutral venue. Whilst they go into the contest as the favourites (a bit like Manchester City are for the Premier League this season), the game is very much still alive and kicking.
Tevez is no stranger to playing at the top European stadiums after having spent a lot of time with clubs like Manchester City, Juventus, and West Ham. Tevez believes that the advantage that River Plate enjoyed after a 2-2 first leg score has been negated by the possibility of playing the final in a neutral venue.
“Tevez does believe that River Plate had the pleasure of playing in front of the own supporters and having to deliver“. This pressure will be reduced but the neutral venue robs them of home advantage, which could have been crucial in settling the tie -“especially when home support“ had been so crucial in the previous rounds.
"It is a weird final. To play a match between Boca and River in Madrid, it's weird. But as a player, it is important to stay focused on the match. I don't think so. River have a lot more pressure playing at home and now it is 50-50. To play at home, sometimes it goes against you in a Libertadores final," said Tevez about playing the final at the Santiago Bernabeu, which is one of the finest stadiums in the world with a capacity of more than 80,000. It will be fine venue for the event.