Pre-Libertadores tournament
The Pre-Libertadores Tournament (also known as Liguilla Pre-Libertadores) was a qualifying tournament played between clubs from Venezuela and Mexico to define two qualified clubs to the Copa Libertadores, it was held from 1998 to 2003.
The tournament was an initiative of Mexican promoters, close to the FMF and the Televisa company, who sought to get Mexican teams into CONMEBOL continental club competition.[1]
History
[edit]In 1997, Grupo Pegaso (founded by Alejandro Burillo Azcárraga[2]), through promoter Eduardo Aguirre, began talks with the Venezuelan league clubs and the Venezuelan Football Federation to purchase the slots that corresponded to Venezuelan teams in the Copa Libertadores (2 direct slots at that time). Negotiations lasted until December of that year when the parties reached an agreement in a meeting held in Asunción, Paraguay; the two Venezuelan slots in the Copa Libertadores would be disputed in a qualifying tournament by two Venezuelan and two Mexican teams, in exchange, the Mexican side was to make a payment of US$200,000 to each Venezuelan team participating and US$80,000 to the FVF.[3] The agreement had CONMEBOL's approval, however, CONCACAF's permission was still needed to allow the Mexican teams to participate.
In early January 1998, Rafael Esquivel, president of the FVF at the time, and his treasurer Emiliano Rodríguez travel to Mexico to finalize the details of the tournament and then to the United States to meet with CONCACAF authorities. Finally, CONCACAF authorized the participation of the Mexican teams and 3 February is announced as the start date of the tournament.[4]
The competition was replaced by the InterLiga in 2004, as the qualification method for Mexican clubs.
Competition format
[edit]Four participating clubs, two from Venezuela defined through the Apertura and Clausura tournaments of the Venezuelan Primera División and two clubs from Mexico defined by the preliminary round called Pre Pre-Libertadores.
The Mexican and Venezuelan clubs faced each other in round-trip matches, except with the club from the same country. The best two in a round-robin format qualified directly to the group stage of the Copa Libertadores.
Results
[edit]Pre Pre-Libertadores
[edit]The preliminary round played between Mexican clubs interested in participating, the best two qualified to the Pre-Libertadores Tournament. It was held from 1998 to 2002 and the matches were played in the United States.
| Year | Qualified to Pre-Libertadores | Teams | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | C.F. Monterrey | Club Necaxa | 10
|
| 1999 | Atlas F.C. | Club América | 5
|
| 2000 | Cruz Azul | Atlante F.C. | 5
|
| 2001 | Club América | Morelia | 5
|
| 2002 | Pumas UNAM | Cruz Azul | 6
|
Pre-Libertadores Tournament
[edit]During its 6 editions, 12 spots were disputed, of which 10 spots were won by the Mexican clubs and only two by the Venezuelan clubs.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ Sen, Xochitl (10 January 2008). "El torneo incómodo" [The uncomfortable tournament]. espndeportes.espn.com (in Spanish). ESPN.
- ^ García, Vito (13 April 2014). "Alejandro Burillo Azcárraga, el hombre que se olvidó del valor del Atlante" [Alejandro Burillo Azcárraga, the man who forgot Atlante's value]. espndeportes.espn.com (in Spanish). ESPN.
- ^ Duben, Rodrigo (20 November 2016). "Punto final: cómo fueron los 18 años de México en la Copa Libertadores" [End point: how Mexico's 18 years in the Copa Libertadores went] (in Spanish). Infobae.
- ^ Minniti, Javier. "Recuento histórico de la Liguilla entre Venezuela y México" [Liguilla history between Venezuela and Mexico] (in Spanish). University of the Andes. Archived from the original on 10 December 2004. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
- ^ "Pre Libertadores, la primera aduana para los mexicanos" [Pre Libertadores, the first hurdle for the Mexicans]. mexico.as.com (in Spanish). Diario AS. 27 July 2015.