Copa Libertadores 2008 Facts & History – Copa Libertadores 2008 competition history, stats, goals, football news

Dates:

January-July

Number of Teams:

Location:

South America

Venues:

Official website:

http://www.conmebol.com/

Facts

1 Overview
- 1.1 Dates
2 Qualification Process
3 Competition Format
4 Location and Venues
5 Official Sponsors
6 Important Links
7 References

Overview

What teams can participate in the Copa Libertadores de America?

The countries’ federations have the freedom to choose the best criteria to send the club that will represent them in the tournament. Counties who use the Apertura and Clausura system send the respective champions and in the case of Argentina the best placed average teams also qualify. Brazil uses the European league system in their national championship so they send the 4 best teams and also the Brazilian Cup Champions. In Uruguay since 1974 a “mini-league” called Liguilla determines who will represent the country. In Mexico the best average team of the season is joined, since 2004, by the two finalists of the Interliga. The previous Copa Libertadores Champions is automaticly qualified to enter the group fase of the current tournament.

Dates

The preliminary round games were played on January 29 and February 12 of 2008. The Group Round Stage began on February 12. The first and second leg of the final are schedule to happen on June 25th and July 2nd respectively

Qualification Process

What format is used in the Copa Santander Libertadores?

There is a preliminary round with the 12 pre-qualified lowest rank teams from each country. They play a two-leg knockout and the six winners will complete the 8 groups. The qualifying round is formed by 32 teams divided in 8 groups of 4. They play each other in a home-away system and the two top teams move to the knockout round. The following rounds (round of 16, Quarter-finals, Semi-finals and Finals) are played in a two-leg (home and away) knockout system.

Competition Format

In the Groups Round the two best teams are determined by the following criteria in order of importance: 1) Most Number of Points; 2) Best Goal Differential; 3) More goals scored; 4) More goals scored as the away team; 5) Draw For every knockout round, except the Finals, the 4 first criteria listed above will be used. If a winner still can’t be determined a penalty shootout will decide which club will move to the next round of Copa Libertadores.

For the Finals the first criterion in most number of points, then goal differential if a tie still happens the teams will play a 30 minute extra-time and if necessary the Copa Libertadores Chamions will be decided in a penalty shootout.