CONMEBOL announced prize money for the winner of the 2018 Copa Libertadores will increase from $3M to $6M. The runner-up will receive $3M, up from $1.5M in '17. The teams that are eliminated in the semifinals will receive $1.35M apiece, a $100,000 increase from '17 (LA AFICIÓN, 12/21).
In recent weeks "it has become clear" that Barcelona is "suffering the negative impacts of the Catalan independence issue," as there has been a "substantial decrease in Camp Nou attendance" in the club's two most recent matches. The visits of Sporting -- which drew a crowd of 48,336 -- and Deportivo La Coruña (53,607) "have had two of the worst gates of the current season" (MARCA, 12/21).
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) reportedly "preferred to hold a meeting with FIFA and the Spanish government this week" regarding FIFA's threat that Spain could miss the 2018 World Cup, interim RFEF President Juan Luis Larrea announced to members of the RFEF's board on Wednesday. He added that the meeting "would only address a letter from FIFA and UEFA in which the organizations requested to meet with the Spanish government officials responsible for sports." It "is believed that FIFA is frustrated" by the fact that it did not receive an official response (AS, 12/20).
