These are the stadiums in Colombia that have hosted an international final

After the Metropolitan Stadium of Barranquilla and the Atanasio Girardot of Medellín applied to receive the final of the Copa Libertadores and Sudamericana, we recall the scenarios in the country that have witnessed the final match of the most important club tournament in South America.

This Thursday, the Conmebol announced the stadiums that were postulated to host the final of the Copa Libertadores de América and the Copa Sudamericana until 2023. Copying the model that exists in Europe, the defining game of the most important club championship in South America was dispute, since 2019, to a single meeting. In its first edition, the final was planned to be played in Santiago de Chile, but due to the strong protests in that country, the Monumental stadium in Lima, Peru, received the event and Flamengo of Brazil raised the cup after defeating River Plate of Argentina.

The most representative stages of the continent such as La Bombonera and the Monumental in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Morumbí stadium, the Corintians Arena in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the Centenario stadium in Montevideo, Uruguay, or the National stadium in Santiago de Chile are some of the candidates to host the last part of the edition of the Libertadores and the Sudamericana in 2021, 2022 and 2023. The Colombian representatives are the Barraqnuilla Metropolitan stadium for the Libertadores and the Atanasio Girardor stadium in Medellín for both tournaments.

Colombia has received the final match of one of the two competitions on 15 occasions, of which it has obtained the title four times.

The first time that a final of a continental tournament was played in our country was in 1978 when Deportivo Cali, led by Argentina’s Carlos Salvador Bilardo, faced Boca Juniors at the Pascual Guerrero stadium in the city of Cali. The match ended 0-0 and on the return the xeneizes beat the sugar mills 4-0 and lifted their first international title.

During the decade of the 80’s, América de Cali was the Colombian team with the greatest influence on the continent. In the 1985, 1986 and 1987 editions, the red devils disputed the final of the Libertadores. The team led by Dr. Gabriel Ochoa Uribe faced Argentinos Juniors in 85, River Plate in 86 and Peñarol from Uruguay in 87. On all three occasions, the matches were played at Pascual Guerrero, first they beat Argentinos 1 -0, they fell 2-1 against River on the second occasion and defeated Peñarol 2-0 in the third final, but the scarlets failed to get the title.

In 1989, Atlético Nacional would achieve the first international achievement for a Colombian team. In front of Olimpia of Paraguay, the purslane was crowned champion of the continent at the Nemesio Camacho el Campín stadium in Bogotá. The final could not be played in Medellín since the Atanasio Giradot did not meet the Conmebol standards of a minimum of 35,000 spectators.

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Six years later, in 1995, the highest soccer arena in the Antioquia capital would have its moment of glory when Nacional returned to qualify for the tournament final. This time he had to face Gremio do Brasil after losing 3-1 in the first leg. The 1-1 draw was not enough and the Brazilians raised the cup.

América de Cali would return to dispute the championship nine years after their last defeat, this time they would face Rive Plate again. Pascual Guerrero received the two teams again, only this time the American team would win the first leg. The Monumental would be in charge of witnessing the 2-0 in favor of the Argentines and a new defeat for the Caleño team.

Deportivo Cali would receive Palmeiras from Brazil in 1999 for the sixth final of the Copa Libertadores that Pascual Guerrero would witness. That night the Colombians prevailed 1-0, but in the return the 2-1 against would force the penalty shoot-out and the misfortune for the sugar producers.

Five years since the last time the South American tournament traveled to Colombia for its definition and 25 since the last title of a national team. The Palogrande stadium in Manizales would be the scene of the 2004 final in which the Once Caldas beat Boca Juniors of Argentina from the 11 steps.

The last time the Libertadores had to play in the country was in 2016 when Atlético Nacional lifted the trophy for the second time in the Atanasio Girardot against Independiente del Valle de Ecuador.

For the Copa Sudamericana, the final match has been played four times. Nacional has played in 2002 and 2014 (and a third in 2016 that could not be played due to the Chapecoense plane crash) in the Atanasio Giradot, Independiente Santa Fe played and won in 2015 against Huracan of Argentina in El Campín and the Junior de Barranquilla received Atlético Paranaense in 2018 with a draw of one. The only team that has lifted this trophy is the albirrojo group from the capital.