With a better campaign in the competition than their possible rivals in the Copa Libertadores final, Atlético will be team A in the match on November 30th. The game is scheduled for the Monumental de Nuñez stadium, in Buenos Aires, the same place where Galo drew 0-0 with River Plate, on Tuesday night (29), and secured their second decision of the tournament organized by Conmebol (South American Confederation).
The opponent will be defined this Wednesday (30). Botafogo beat Peñarol-URU in the first leg, in Rio, 5-0 and could lose by up to four goals at the Centenário stadium, in Montevideo, as they advance to the final.
Being team A, or the “host” of the final, has some advantages:
- Galo will play with their number 1 uniform;
- Will use the main locker room of the stadium designated for the decision;
- coach Gabriel Milito will be on the home team’s bench, in the case of Monumental where River is located, who is normally next to the number 1 assistant referee.
It is based on the campaign, team A or B, that Conmebol also defines the hotel in which the delegation will stay in the capital of Argentina and the training location, which is also designated by the confederation.
Where will Galo train?
Atlético will train, according to Conmebol, at the Defensa Y Justicia training center. The “Campeones Del Mundo” Building is a modern complex, opened at the end of 2023, which has three training fields, as well as large changing rooms, a conference room, a meeting room and accommodation with 50 rooms.
The CT is in the city of Florêncio Varela, in Greater Buenos Aires. Atlético will not be staying at the training center and will have to travel there for around 40 minutes from the hotel, which will be located in a more central region of the Argentine capital.
According to the Libertadores regulations, Galo must arrive in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, November 27th, so there will be at least two training sessions at Defensa’s headquarters.
Cruzeiro trained there this Tuesday (29), on the eve of their semi-final game of the Copa Sudamericana, against Lanús, in La Fortaleza, at 7pm (Brasília time).
Botafogo or Peñarol will train at Tigre’s training center, also located in the metropolitan region of Buenos Aires.
Conmebol informs that it maintains its plan to hold the final at the Monumental de Nuñez stadium, despite River not having qualified for the decision. The stadium for more than 80 thousand people is considered large. If the final is between Brazilian teams, an audience of between 30,000 and 40,000 people is estimated, half the capacity.
There is already a contract signed with River Plate, but the club will be consulted about holding the final in its stadium. Internally there is pressure for a smaller field, like the Libertadores de América, at Independiente, where 40 thousand people can fit, which would be a better option for an Atlético x Botafogo final.
However, there are several obstacles to a change, such as contracts signed with outsourced companies, which will operate the match, and hospitality companies that have already programmed everything for the game at Monumental.
