Atlético Nacional has more than 17 reasons to celebrate: in addition to being the most successful club in Colombia, with 31 total titles, it has just billed 500,000 dollars from Conmebol for being the best in the tournament and securing the 3 million dollars to which they are entitled all those who make it to the group stage of the Copa Libertadores.
The money and the glory pose a challenge for the coaching staff of Hernán Darío Herrera, who would continue to command and would have to start now to make a payroll that is up to those challenges.
But while the people of Antioquia do accounts and parties with their meritorious star 17, others would like to accompany him in that select group of those classified to the most important tournament on the continent, which is the one that finally ensures the large economic income that everyone dreams of.
How are things then in the fight for those quotas? Atlético Nacional is already Colombia 1 in that distribution, as champion of the Betplay I League. Afterwards, everything is yet to be decided.
It is worth remembering that the quota called Colombia 2 will correspond to the champion of the Betplay II League, which will begin to be played in its group phase on July 9 and 10.
Colombia 3, which gives entry to phase 2 of the Copa Libertadores (prior to groups), is the quota that has the most open discussion: according to the regulations, the team that, without being champion of either of the two Leagues, occupies the best position in the reclassification table.
And how is that right now? The recent qualifiers for the Liga I homers have the upper hand, but they cannot be trusted. If that quota were decided today, it would be for Deportes Tolima, which has 56 units after reaching the final against Nacional, a team that is second with 51 units but, since it is already in the group stage, it does not enter the fight. So the main pursuer of Hernán Torres’ team is Millonarios, who has 48 points, followed by Independiente Medellín, with 45, Atlético Junior (40) and La Equidad (39).
Then came Atlético Bucaramanga, with 35 units, and Envigado, with 32, both benefiting from their good first semester.
Finally, it must be said that there is a last quota called Colombia 4, which will correspond to the winner of the Colombia Cup and will give access to phase 2 of the Libertadores.
