Bridgestone awarded Copa Libertadores' MVP with a golden ring

On Saturday 23rd November, in the Copa Libertadores final, Flamengo won over River Plate, after a sensational game. Borre's opening goal for the Millionarios was cancelled by Gabigol's brace, giving the Brazilians their second Copa Libertadores. For the first time in the history of the competition, Bridgestone - the tyres brand sponsor of the tournament since 2013 - has decided to reward the best player of the tournament with a gold and diamonds ring. Before the final, Bridgestone announced the four finalists, choosing 2 players per team: Bruno Henrique and Gabriel Barbosa (7 goals and 2 assists) for Flamengo, Nicolás De La Cruz and Ignacio Fernández for River Plate. Gabigol was the front runner, but the Japanese company - probably influenced by the fact that the former Inter was sent off in the final minutes - chose the most voted: Bruno Henrique, who scored 5 goals and 6 assists during the competition. 

Bridgestone's award follows a typical American sport tradition, common in NFL, NHL, MLB and NBA (Raptors receive in October their championship rings), paying homage to the winning team in a particular competition with a jeweled ring. The Bruno Henrique's MVP ring is an 18K gold jewel, with 128 diamonds, 44 white diamonds - shaping the image of the trophy - 68 black diamonds and 16 places at the top. Oduvaldo Viana, Bridgestone's marketing director, said about the initiative:

'To be recognised as the best player in the tournament is something extraordinary and we want to honour this story with an incredible and unique ring. This is an unprecedented action in football'.