CONMEBOL on Monday officially announced a "planned expansion for the Copa Libertadores tournament, with two more qualifying spots awarded to Brazil and one more apiece to Argentina, Colombia and Chile to bring the South American club competition to 44 teams," according to ESPN.com.
South American football's governing body "also shifted the calendar for the Copa Sudamericana." Beginning in '17, the two tournaments "will be run more concurrently with Copa Libertadores play beginning in February and running through the end of November or to December."
Copa Sudamericana "will now run from March until the beginning of December."
Brazil "will now have seven teams in Libertadores, six from the first division and one from the Copa de Brasil." CONMEBOL also "confirmed the proposed changes to the Libertadores final, which will now be played in November at a neutral stadium and be one single match."
The changes mean the South America format in '17 "will resemble Europe's Champions League and Europa League more closely" (ESPN.com, 10/3).
