'Cup look but do not touch'

Since its inception in 1960, the Copa Libertadores had predominantly been won by clubs from nations with an Atlantic coast: Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. Olimpia of Paraguay became the first team outside of those nations to win the Copa Libertadores when they triumphed in 1979.

The first club from a country with a Pacific coast to reach a final was Universitario of Lima, Peru, who lost in 1972 against Independiente of Argentina.^[12] The following year, Independiente defeated Colo-Colo of Chile, another Pacific team, creating the myth that the trophy would never go to the west, giving birth to the saying, "La Copa se mira y no se toca" (Spanish: The Cup is seen but not touched).^[12] Unión Española became the third Pacific team to reach the final in 1975, although they also lost to Independiente.^[12]Atletico Nacional of Medellín, Colombia, won the Copa Libertadores in 1989, becoming the first nation with a Pacific coastline to win the tournament,^[38] although Medellín is the capital of the Antioquia Department, whose coastline is entirely on the Atlantic via the Caribbean Sea. In 1990 and 1998 Barcelona Sporting Club, of Ecuador also made it to final but lost both finals to Olimpia and Vasco da Gama respectively.

Other clubs from nations with Pacific coastlines to have won the competition are Colo-Colo of Chile in 1991, Once Caldas of Colombia in 2004, and LDU Quito of Ecuador in 2008.