Attendance 18,000 Champion Cruzeiro Esporte Clube | Attendance 11,000 Dates 3 Aug 1999 – 23 Sep 1999 | |
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Event 1998 Recopa Sudamericana Referee Jose Luís da Rosa (Uruguay) Referee Ubaldo Aquino Valenzano (Paraguay) Venues Belo Horizonte, Buenos Aires, Mineirão, Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti Similar 1993 Copa do Brasil, 1992 Recopa Sudamericana, 1966 Campeonato Brasileiro, 2003 Recopa Sudamericana, 1996 Recopa Sudamericana | ||
The 1998 Recopa Sudamericana was the 10th Recopa Sudamericana, an annual football match between the winners of the previous season's Copa Libertadores and Supercopa Sudamericana competitions. This will become the last Recopa Sudamericana on this format as the Supercopa Sudamericana was discontinued by CONMEBOL in 1998. With no existing secondary tournament, the Recopa Sudamericana became an impracticable competition until the introduction of the Copa Sudamericana in 2002.
The series was contested between Cruzeiro, winners of the 1997 Copa Libertadores, and River Plate, winners of the 1997 Supercopa Sudamericana, in a two-legged series. Due to schedule congestion, this edition was played as part of the 1999 Copa Mercosur (one of the two tournaments that replaced the Supercopa Sudamericana) two years after the participating clubs won their respective qualifying tournaments (instead of the regular 6–12 months). Further devaluing this year's Recopa, River Plate sent a reserved squad on the first leg losing 2-0. On the return leg, Cruzeiro thrashed River Plate 0-3 and won their first Recopa Sudamericana (after failing to do so in 1992 and 1993).
After the home defeat, the Argentines turned off the stadium lights, turned on the lawn irrigation system and only allowed the delivery of the trophy in the locker room, preventing a "victory lap". This disgraceful act prompted CONMEBOL into revising their awarding ceremonies.