River Plate have been confirmed as 2018 Copa Libertadores champions after the Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed an appeal from beaten finalists Boca Juniors ©Getty Images

River Plate have been confirmed as winners of the 2018 Copa Libertadores after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed an appeal by Boca Juniors following crowd trouble in the second leg of the final.

The Buenos Aires-based rivals met in the final of the 2018 competition, with the first leg at the Boca Junior’s La Bombonera stadium ending 2-2.

Boca Juniors team bus was attacked on route to the second leg at River Plate's El Monumental Stadium, with players suffered injuries from broken glass as fans threw objects at the vehicle.

The match between the Argentine rivals was postponed, with the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) opting to move the second leg 6,000 miles away to the Spanish capital Madrid.

Boca Juniors saw an initial claim to suspend the second leg rejected by CONMEBOL, with an appeal also turned down by CAS.

River Plate ultimately won the second leg 3-1 after extra time at the Bernabeu Stadium.

CONMEBOL sanctioned River Plate for the incidents preceding the second leg by ordering the team to play two matches behind closed doors.

River Plate were also handed a fine of $400,000 (£306,000/€363,000).

Boca Juniors team bus was attacked on route to the second leg of the final of the Copa Libertadores against River Plate, ultimately leading it to be relocated to Madrid ©Getty Images
Boca Juniors team bus was attacked on route to the second leg of the final of the Copa Libertadores against River Plate, ultimately leading it to be relocated to Madrid ©Getty Images

The decision was not appealed by Boca Juniors, but the club instead pursued a request to have River Plate disqualified from the competition.

The decision was rejected by CONMEBOl and its Appeals Chamber, leading to Boca Juniors taking the case to CAS.

"The scope of the CAS arbitration procedure was related to security incidents which occurred just outside the security rings when the Boca Juniors’ team bus was attacked by River Plate supporters who threw rocks causing the windows of the bus to smash, and injury to some of the Boca Juniors players," a CAS statement read.

"In its appeal to CAS, Boca Juniors sought to have decision A-21-18 set aside and replaced with an order from CAS that River Plate be held liable for its supporters conduct during the bus attack and that River Plate be sanctioned with disqualification from the 2018 Copa Libertadores or with 'serious disciplinary sanction(s).'

"The CAS Panel found that while River Plate had violated the CONMEBOL disciplinary regulations it could not order the disqualification of River Plate from the 2018 Copa Libertadores since such sanction would have been excessive in the circumstances of the case."

The verdict confirms River Plate as the winners of the Copa Libertadores.

The CAS panel considered the two matches behind closed doors would serve as an appropriate sanction for River Plate.

This will apply to the 2020 Copa Libertadores, where River Plate are due to face Ecuador’s LDU, Binacional of Peru, and Brazil’s São Paulo in the group stage.