Maradona's death rippled through the tournament's planning
No início de dezembro de 2020, a Conmebol definiu os confrontos e as datas das quartas de final da Copa Libertadores, organizando o caminho que levaria os clubes sul-americanos à disputa pelo título continental. Três representantes brasileiros — Palmeiras, Grêmio e Santos — figuravam entre os oito classificados, enquanto o calendário precisou ser reajustado em respeito à morte de Diego Maradona, lembrando que o futebol, mesmo em sua dimensão competitiva, não é imune ao peso da história e da perda.
- A morte de Diego Maradona forçou a Conmebol a reorganizar o calendário, adiando o jogo entre Boca Juniors e Internacional e deslocando as datas do confronto envolvendo o Racing Club para os dias 16 e 23 de dezembro.
- Três clubes brasileiros avançaram às quartas de final, criando tanto um duelo interno — Grêmio contra Santos — quanto confrontos internacionais que colocam o futebol nacional à prova diante de rivais continentais.
- O Palmeiras abre a fase contra o Libertad no Paraguai no dia 8 de dezembro, com a vantagem de jogar o jogo decisivo em casa, em São Paulo, uma semana depois.
- A transmissão foi distribuída entre SBT, Fox Sports, Facebook e Conmebol TV, garantindo que torcedores em todo o continente pudessem acompanhar os jogos de eliminatória direta.
- Com o chaveamento confirmado, os clubes entram em uma fase de tensão máxima, onde cada partida pode encerrar campanhas inteiras e redefinir o mapa do futebol sul-americano.
Na sexta-feira, 4 de dezembro de 2020, a Conmebol divulgou os confrontos e as datas das quartas de final da Copa Libertadores, desenhando o caminho rumo ao título continental. O Palmeiras enfrentaria o Libertad, do Paraguai, com o jogo de ida marcado para o dia 8 de dezembro em Assunção, às 21h30 (horário de Brasília), e a volta no dia 15, em São Paulo, no mesmo horário — deixando o clube brasileiro com a vantagem de decidir em casa.
O torneio também reservou um duelo inteiramente brasileiro: Grêmio e Santos se enfrentariam nas quartas, com jogos nas quartas-feiras dos dias 9 e 16 de dezembro, às 19h15, com o primeiro confronto em Porto Alegre. Já River Plate e Nacional ocupariam as quintas-feiras, nos dias 10 e 17, às 21h30.
O Racing Club, da Argentina, aguardava o desfecho do confronto entre Boca Juniors e Internacional para conhecer seu adversário. Quando o duelo foi finalmente programado, recebeu datas distintas das demais séries — 16 e 23 de dezembro — reflexo direto do adiamento causado pela morte de Diego Maradona, cuja partida levou a Conmebol a reorganizar o calendário em sinal de respeito ao maior ídolo do futebol argentino.
As transmissões foram divididas entre SBT, Fox Sports, Facebook e Conmebol TV, assegurando amplo acesso aos torcedores. Com o quadro definido, os clubes se preparavam para o futebol de mata-mata, onde cada erro pode ser o último.
The South American football confederation laid out the quarterfinal bracket for the Copa Libertadores on Friday, December 4th, setting in motion a series of matches that would determine which teams advanced toward the continental championship. Palmeiras, the Brazilian club, drew Libertad of Paraguay and would open the round on Tuesday, December 8th, traveling to Asunción for the first leg at 9:30 p.m. Brasília time. The return match would follow a week later in São Paulo on the 15th at the same hour, giving the Brazilian side home advantage in the decisive second game.
Two other Brazilian clubs had also secured spots in the quarterfinals. Grêmio and Santos would face each other in an all-domestic affair, with their matches scheduled for consecutive Wednesdays—December 9th and 16th—both kicking off at 7:15 p.m. Brasília time. The first encounter would take place in Porto Alegre, where Grêmio held the home advantage.
The River Plate versus Nacional matchup would occupy the Thursday slots, with games on December 10th and 17th, both at 9:30 p.m. Brasília time. This pairing would run parallel to the Palmeiras-Libertad series, creating a rhythm of matches across the continent's football calendar.
Racing Club of Argentina remained in a holding pattern, waiting to learn their opponent from the Boca Juniors-Internacional tie. When that matchup was finally scheduled, it received different dates than the other three series. The first leg would occur on December 16th, and the second on December 23rd—both at 9:30 p.m. Brasília time. This staggered timeline reflected a disruption that had rippled through the tournament's planning: the original schedule for the Boca-Internacional game had been postponed following the death of Diego Maradona, the Argentine football legend whose passing had prompted the confederation to adjust its calendar out of respect.
The broadcast arrangements reflected the scale of the competition. SBT and Fox Sports would carry the Palmeiras matches, while Fox Sports held the rights to Grêmio versus Santos. River Plate's games would stream on Facebook, and the Racing quarterfinal would air on Conmebol TV, ensuring that fans across the region could follow their teams through the knockout rounds. With the schedule now confirmed, the path to the final had taken shape, and the continent's top clubs prepared for the intensity of sudden-death football.
Citações Notáveis
The Racing quarterfinal was postponed following the death of Diego Maradona, affecting the original schedule for the Argentine-Uruguayan clash.— Conmebol announcement
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does the Racing match get pushed back two weeks while the others start immediately?
Maradona's death in late November disrupted everything. Out of respect, they postponed the Boca-Internacional game, which meant Racing had to wait for their opponent to be determined. It created this cascading effect through the calendar.
So Palmeiras gets to play at home second—is that an advantage?
It can be. You play the first leg away, learn what you're facing, then return home where your crowd is behind you. But it also means if you lose badly in Paraguay, you're chasing the tie in the second game. Both scenarios carry weight.
Three Brazilian clubs in the quarterfinals. Is that unusual?
Not really. Brazil's clubs are typically strong in this competition. What's notable here is that Grêmio and Santos drew each other—one of them has to go home, which means Brazil loses a team earlier than it might have otherwise.
The broadcast split across different networks—does that fragment the audience?
It does. Facebook for River Plate, Fox Sports for others, SBT for Palmeiras. In 2020, that's still how these rights get divided. It means fans have to hunt for their matches rather than everything being centralized.
What's the pressure like for Palmeiras going first?
They're opening the round, which carries symbolic weight. But they also get to set the tone. If they win in Paraguay, they go home with momentum. If they lose, they have a week to recalibrate before the return leg. The schedule gives them options.