2011 Copa Libertadores
The 2011 Copa Libertadores de América was the 52nd edition of the Copa Libertadores de América, South America's premier international club football tournament organized by CONMEBOL. It was held from January 25 to June 22 of the same year. Brazilian club Internacional were the defending champion, but they were eliminated by Uruguayan team Peñarol in the round of 16. Internacional was succeeded by Brazilian club Santos, who won their third title after defeating Peñarol in the two-legged finals.
Santos qualified to the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup and the 2012 Recopa Sudamericana.
Qualified teams
Starting from 2011, the most recent Copa Sudamericana champion would earn a berth in the tournament. However, the country of the Copa Sudamericana champion would not gain an extra berth. The Copa Sudamericana champion would take the lowest-placed berth already assigned to the country if they did not qualify for the Copa Libertadores through domestic performance.| Association | Team | Entry stage | Qualification method |
 Argentina5 berths | Argentinos Juniors | [|Second Stage] | 2010 Clausura champion |
| Argentina 5 berths | Estudiantes | Second Stage | 2010 Apertura champion |
| Argentina 5 berths | Vélez Sársfield | Second Stage | 2010 tournaments aggregate table best non-champion |
| Argentina 5 berths | Godoy Cruz | Second Stage | 2010 tournaments aggregate table 2nd best non-champion |
| Argentina 5 berths | Independiente | [|First Stage] | 2010 Copa Sudamericana champion |
 Bolivia3 berths | Jorge Wilstermann | Second Stage | 2010 Apertura champion |
| Bolivia 3 berths | Oriente Petrolero | Second Stage | 2010 Clausura champion |
| Bolivia 3 berths | Bolívar | First Stage | 2010 Clausura runner-up |
 Brazil5+1 berths | Internacional | Second Stage | 2010 Copa Libertadores de América champion |
| Brazil 5+1 berths | Santos | Second Stage | 2010 Copa do Brasil champion |
| Brazil 5+1 berths | Fluminense | Second Stage | 2010 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A champion |
| Brazil 5+1 berths | Cruzeiro | Second Stage | 2010 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A runner-up |
| Brazil 5+1 berths | Corinthians | First Stage | 2010 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 3rd place |
| Brazil 5+1 berths | Grêmio | First Stage | 2010 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 4th place |
 Chile3 berths | Universidad Católica | Second Stage | 2010 Primera División champion |
| Chile 3 berths | Colo-Colo | Second Stage | 2010 Primera División round 1 leader |
| Chile 3 berths | Unión Española | First Stage | 2010 Primera División Liguilla winner |
 Colombia3 berths | Junior | Second Stage | 2010 Apertura champion |
| Colombia 3 berths | Once Caldas | Second Stage | 2010 Finalización champion |
| Colombia 3 berths | Deportes Tolima | First Stage | 2010 Primera A aggregate table best non-champion |
 Ecuador3 berths | LDU Quito | Second Stage | 2010 Serie A champion |
| Ecuador 3 berths | Emelec | Second Stage | 2010 Serie A runner-up |
| Ecuador 3 berths | Deportivo Quito | First Stage | 2010 Serie A 3rd place |
 Paraguay3 berths | Libertad | Second Stage | 2010 Primera División aggregate table best champion |
| Paraguay 3 berths | Guaraní | Second Stage | 2010 Primera División aggregate table 2nd best champion |
| Paraguay 3 berths | Cerro Porteño | First Stage | 2010 Primera División aggregate table best non-champion |
 Peru3 berths | Universidad San Martín | Second Stage | 2010 Descentralizado champion |
| Peru 3 berths | León de Huánuco | Second Stage | 2010 Descentralizado runner-up |
| Peru 3 berths | Alianza Lima | First Stage | 2010 Descentralizado aggregate table best non-finalist |
 Uruguay3 berths | Peñarol | Second Stage | 2009–10 Primera División champion |
| Uruguay 3 berths | Nacional | Second Stage | 2009–10 Primera División runner-up |
| Uruguay 3 berths | Liverpool | First Stage | 2009–10 Primera División aggregate table best non-finalist |
 Venezuela3 berths | Caracas | Second Stage | 2009–10 Primera División champion |
| Venezuela 3 berths | Deportivo Táchira | Second Stage | 2009–10 Primera División runner-up |
| Venezuela 3 berths | Deportivo Petare | First Stage | 2009–10 Primera División aggregate table best non-finalist |
 Mexico3 invitees | América | Second Stage | 2010 Apertura classification phase best eligible team |
| Mexico 3 invitees | San Luis | Second Stage | 2010 Apertura classification phase 2nd best eligible team |
| Mexico 3 invitees | Chiapas | First Stage | 2010 Apertura classification phase 3rd best eligible team |
Draw
The draw for the 2011 Copa Libertadores was held on November 25, 2010 in Asunción. The drawing procedure for the 12 teams in the first stage was to alternatively draw a team from each pot. The drawing procedure for the 26 teams in the second stage was to draw out the pots beginning with Pot 1. One team from each pot would be placed, in the order of being drawn, into one of eight groups from 1 to 8. When drawing from Pot 3, if a team had been placed in a group where a team from the same football association was already placed, they were moved to the subsequent group until they were no longer in a group with a team from the same association. However, a first stage winner may be drawn with a team from the same association in the second stage.For the first time, the seeded teams for the second stage were changed. Up until 2010, the 8 seeded teams included the reigning champion, and clubs from the football associations of Argentina and Brazil. For 2011, the seeded teams consisted of berths 1 from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela, and berths 2 from Argentina and Brazil. The reigning champion–Internacional–was berth 1 for Brazil. For 2012, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay would all have their berth 1 teams be seeded teams instead of the berth 1 teams from Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela.
Prior to the draw, it was announced that Caracas would be one of the eight seeded teams. During the draw, however, Deportivo Táchira was accidentally drawn as the seeded team for Group 4 and Caracas was drawn into Group 5 as a non-seeded team. After the ceremony, CONMEBOL recognized their error and transferred Caracas over to Group 4 and Deportivo Táchira over to Group 5.
1Teams had not yet fully qualified to the specific berth when the draw took place.
Schedule
All dates listed are Wednesdays, but matches may be played on the day before and after as well.First stage
The First Stage began on January 25 and ended on February 3. Team 1 played the second leg at home.Second stage
The Second Stage, played in home-and-away round-robin format, began on February 9 and ended on April 20. The top two teams from each group qualified for the knockout stages.Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Group 4
Group 5
Group 6
Group 7
Group 8
Knockout stages
The last four stages of the tournament, played in home-and-away two-legged format, form a single-elimination tournament, contested by the sixteen teams which advance from the Second Stage. In each tie, the team with the higher seed will play at home in the second leg.Seeding
The 16 qualified teams are seeded in the knockout stages according to their results in the second stage, with the group winners seeded 1–8, and the group runners-up seeded 9–16. The teams were ranked by: 1. Points ; 2. Goal difference ; 3. Goals scored ; 4. Away goals ; 5. Drawing of lots.BracketRound of 16The Round of 16 began on April 26 and ended on May 5. Team 1 played the second leg at home.QuarterfinalsThe Quarterfinals began on May 11 and ended on May 19. Team 1 played the second leg at home.SemifinalsThe Semifinals began on May 25 and ended on June 2. Team 1 played the second leg at home.FinalsThe Finals were played over two legs, with the higher-seeded team playing the second leg at home. If the teams were tied on points and goal difference at the end of regulation in the second leg, the away goals rule would not be applied and 30 minutes of extra time would be played. If still tied after extra time, the title would be decided by penalty shootout.---- Santos won on points 4–1.
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