BRAZIL Flamengo’s greatest hour

There were tales of epic journeys to and from the Copa Libertadores Final: 60-hour treks to Peru by road, flights back complicated by the inability of Lima airport to process people in time, and supporters forking out huge amounts of cash just to get to the game.

This, of course, is the obvious problem with the new policy for the Libertadores decider. This year the traditional two-leg home-and-away format was replaced by a one-off game at a neutral ground, as it is with Europe’s Champions League Final.

But South America is not Europe. Distances are vast, travel is expensive and income is badly distributed. A large percentage of fans were priced out of the showpiece occasion, and there were huge logistical problems for those with enough time and money to make the trip. With social unrest in Santiago, this 2019 Final was moved to Lima at just two-and-a-half weeks’ notice.

This, then, is the downside of the one-off Final. Even so, the format would seem to be here to stay because, if there is