CAS rejects Boca appeal to suspend Libertadores final

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Boca Juniors' last-minute attempt to suspend Sunday's Copa Libertadores final against River Plate was rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Saturday, clearing the way for the decisive match to take place in Madrid.

(Reuters)

Boca filed their appeal to sport's highest court on Friday after the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) rejected their claim that River Plate should be disqualified from the continent's equivalent of Europe's Champions League.

"The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed an urgent request for provisional measures filed yesterday by CA Boca Juniors in which it sought to suspend the second leg of the final of the Copa Libertadores," CAS said in a statement.

The organisation said it would nevertheless hear the merits of Boca’s appeal at an undisclosed later date.

Boca and River drew 2-2 in the first leg of the final on Nov. 11 but the second leg at River’s Monumental stadium was postponed after Boca players were hurt when their coach was attacked by River fans as it approached the ground.

The second leg is scheduled to take place at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium on Sunday.

(Reporting by Andrew Downie; Editing by Ken Ferris)