River end 11-year run of consecutive Copa Libertadores appearances | OneFootball

With Boca's defeat, the Millionaire team is now qualified to play in the Copa Sudamericana and will miss the major continental event for the first time since 2014.

Racing was River's definitive executioner in this 2025. First, because it knocked them out of the Torneo Clausura with a dramatic and unforgettable victory at the Cilindro, and finally, because it eliminated Boca in the semis and left the Millionaire team condemned to play in the Copa Sudamericana. Thus, an impressive streak of 11 consecutive participations in the Copa Libertadores is broken.

Considering the year Marcelo Gallardo's team had, especially in the last few months, any reward seems exaggerated. However, the qualification for the Sudamericana is more of a severe punishment for a club accustomed to being at the forefront internationally and that in 2026 will see a clear decline in its economic income.

Ramón Díaz led his team to the consecration of the Torneo Final 2014 before deciding not to renew his contract with the club, leaving the club in the Copa Libertadores for the first time since 2009. That was the first of 11 consecutive qualifications that the Núñez team would have, including two championships (2015 and 2018) and a third final (2019).

The 11-year streak of consecutive participation in the main continental tournament almost fully coincided with the Gallardo era. In between, Martín Demichelis qualified the team for the 2024 edition and set them on a good path for 2025. And now, more than a decade later, it is Muñeco himself who is responsible for leaving River without the chance to play in a Copa Libertadores for the first time since 2014.

This streak that has just ended is the second longest in the club's history. The best record was 15 consecutive participations, between 1995 and 2009. During that period, River achieved its second Copa Libertadores and did not reach any other final. Except for 1996, those were 15 years marked more by frustrations than by joys. In fact, the Millionaire lost no less than five semifinals (1995, 1998, 1999, 2004, and 2005).

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