This is the money that Santa Fe stopped earning due to the failure in the Copa Libertadores

Santa Fe suffered one of the most painful defeats in its history in Conmebol tournaments. The team repeated the nightmare it experienced in the final of the BetPlay League 2024-I against Atlético Bucaramanga and was eliminated from the Copa Libertadores in the second phase.

In June last year, Pablo Peirano's team forced a penalty shoot-out with a goal from Agustín Rodríguez, but then lost the star in the tiebreaker.

History repeated itself on Tuesday at the Techo stadium, where Santa Fe, who had lost 2-1 against Deportes Iquique, from Chile, as a visitor, this time won by the same score with a header by Christian Mafla in the 90+7 minute.

However, the penalties left Santa Fe empty-handed again. Of five attempts, they only made one, Angelo Rodríguez's. Omar Albornoz and Daniel Torres shot wide and Deportes Iquique's goalkeeper, Leandro Requena, stopped shots from Lucas Ríos and Hugo Rodallega.

Santa Fe missed a great opportunity to strengthen its coffers. For playing in the second qualifying phase of the Copa Libertadores, it received 500 thousand dollars. If it had advanced, it would have received 600 thousand more.

In the worst case scenario, if they had been eliminated from the Libertadores in the third round, they would have secured the group stage of the Copa Sudamericana, which would have earned them 900 thousand dollars, 300 for each home game. In addition, it would give them the possibility of earning 115 thousand in the event of a victory in that stage.

If they had reached the group stage of the Libertadores, the bill would have been even higher: one million dollars for each home game (they guaranteed three) and 300 thousand for each victory. All of this, both in this tournament and in the Sudamericana, without counting what they could have received at the gates.

The 2025 Copa Libertadores only lasted 180 minutes for Santa Fe. Now they will have to concentrate on the local tournament to try to return to this tournament in 2026.