# 1964 Copa Libertadores

The 1964 Copa de Campeones de América was the fifth edition of South America's premier club football tournament. For the first time since its inception, every member of CONMEBOL was represented in the competition. Deportivo Italia became the first club from Venezuela to participate, providing an unexpectedly impressive performance after eliminating Bahia of Brazil in the preliminary round and beating Barcelona in Guayaquil.
Building up on Boca Juniors' great showing in the last season, Argentine football managed to put themselves on the international map as Independiente won Argentina's first title. El Diablo Rojo, or Red Devil, eliminated the powerful Santos, which played without the main stars of its attack (Dorval, Mengálvio, Coutinho and an injured Pelé didn't play, and Pepe played just the first match of the semifinal). After winning both matches of their semifinal series, the Argentines dispatched Nacional in the finals. Mario Rodríguez was a key factor in Independiente's triumph and was the top scorer of the tournament with 6 goals.

## Qualified teams

| Country | Team | Qualification method |
| CONMEBOL 1 berth | Santos | 1963 Copa Libertadores de América winners |
| Argentina 1 berth | Independiente | 1963 Primera División champion |
| Bolivia 1 berth | Aurora | 1963 Copa Simón Bolívar champion |
| Brazil 1 berth | Bahia | 1963 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A runner-up |
| Chile 1 berth | Colo-Colo | 1963 Primera División champion |
| Colombia 1 berth | Millonarios | 1963 Campeonato Profesional champion |
| Ecuador 1 berth | Barcelona | 1963 Campeonato Ecuatoriano de Fútbol champion |
| Paraguay 1 berth | Cerro Porteño | 1963 Primera División champion |
| Peru 1 berth | Alianza Lima | 1963 Primera División champion |
| Uruguay 1 berth | Nacional | 1963 Primera División champion |
| Venezuela 1 berth | Deportivo Italia | 1963 Venezuelan Primera División champion |

## Tie-breaking criteria

This edition saw a first round, with three groups containing three teams each; the preliminary round from the 1961 edition was reintroduced. The format for the semifinals and the finals remained unchanged.
At each stage of the tournament teams receive 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and no points for a loss. If two or more teams are equal on points, the following criteria will be applied to determine the ranking in the group stage:
* a one-game playoff;
* superior goal difference;
* draw of lots.

## Preliminary round

Owing to the uneven number of teams in the competition, a preliminary round was created to determine who joined the other 9 teams in the competition. As a predominated "weak" side, Venezuela has its representative face off against Brazil's second representative. The winner of the series would advance into the First round. Both matches took place in Caracas.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Deportivo Italia | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 3 |
| Bahía | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 1 |

## First round

Nine teams were drawn into groups of three. In each group, teams played against each other home-and-away. The top team in each group advanced to the Semifinals. Santos, the title holders, had a bye to the next round.

### Group 1

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Nacional | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Cerro Porteño | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 4 |
| Aurora | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 14 | -12 | 1 |

### Group 2

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Independiente | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Millonarios | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 8 | -2 | 4 |
| Alianza Lima | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 11 | -6 | 1 |

### Group 3

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Colo-Colo | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 6 |
| Barcelona | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| Deportivo Italia | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 9 | -7 | 2 |

## Semifinals

Four teams were drawn into two groups. In each group, teams played against each other home-and-away. The top team in each group advanced to the Finals.

### Group A

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Independiente | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 4 |
| Santos | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | −2 | 0 |

### Group B

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Nacional | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 4 |
| Colo-Colo | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 8 | −4 | 0 |

## Finals

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Independiente | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 3 |
| Nacional | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 1 |

## Champion

* Copa Libertadores de América 1964 Champion
* Independiente First Title

## Top goalscorers

| Pos | Player | Team | Goals |
| 1 | Mario Rodríguez | Independiente | 6 |
| 1 | Celino Mora | Cerro Porteño | 6 |
| 3 | Nivaldo | Barcelona | 5 |
| 4 | Luis Eduardo Suárez | Independiente | 4 |
| 4 | Raúl Armando Savoy | Independiente | 4 |
| 4 | Delio Gamboa | Millonarios | 4 |
| 3 | Francisco Valdés | Colo-Colo | 3 |
| 3 | Luis Hernán Álvarez | Colo-Colo | 3 |
| 3 | Roberto Frojuelo | Colo-Colo | 3 |
| 3 | Domingo Pérez | Nacional | 3 |
| 3 | Víctor Zegarra | Alianza Lima | 3 |

## Footnotes

* ↑ News at journal Folha de S.Paulo on June 23, 2015, the Argentine TV brought up to light phone recordings conversations between Abel Gnecco, Argentina's representative in referee committee of Conmebol and the former president of AFA, Julio Grondona, who died in 2014 and who in 1964 was president of Independiente. In the wiretapping (recorded at May 17, 2013), Grondona praises himself for have conspired with the referee team of semifinal between Santos and Independiente, in order that Brazilian team could not qualify for the final. Transcription of the wiretape, included. (in Portuguese)
    A. ^ Played in Avellaneda (Racing Club's stadium) due to the tragedy around the olympic qualifier between Peru and Argentina in Lima.
    B. ^ Played in Bogotá (El Campin) due to the tragedy around the olympic qualifier between Peru and Argentina in Lima.
    C. ^ Not played due to differences between CONMEBOL and the Colombian football federations, ADEFútbol and FEDEBOL (after Independiente refused to travel to Bogotá); points incredibly were awarded to Independiente despite refused to play (but no goals).