Bus attacked; Copa Libertadores final postponed

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina —The Copa Libertadores final was postponed to Sunday after Boca Juniors players were injured when their bus was attacked by River Plate fans.

CONMEBOL President Alejandro Dominguez announced the decision on Saturday, only 10 minutes before the final was supposed to start.

Boca players were injured in their bus just five streets from River’s Monumental de Nunez Stadium when rocks and pieces of wood thrown by River supporters shattered the windows.

Some players were also affected by tear gas and pepper spray used by police to quell the violence.

Boca capitan Pablo Perez and teenager Gonzalo Lamardo were taken to nearby hospitals. Perez had injuries to his arms and an eye, according to images of Boca’s locker room shared on social media. Lamardo had trouble breathing because of the gas.

Earlier, CONMEBOL said in a statement that its doctors noted Boca players “suffered superficial skin injuries” and two “said they had eye injuries, which could not be confirmed.”

“We believe that under the medical point of view there is no reason to suspend the match,” the doctors of the South American soccer body said. Dominguez disagreed. “This is football, not war. Neither team wants to play because this match would be unnatural,” he said.

Dominguez met with club directors and FIFA President Gianni Infantino before he announced the postponement.

“We reached an agreement, there was a gentlemen’s pact with both clubs,” Dominguez said. “There was a request from both clubs for the match to be suspended.”