April 28 – Fluminense and Flamengo have successfully defended their right to manage the Maracanã Stadium, as a Rio court dismissed Vasco da Gama’s request for the state government to open up bids for provisional management of the stadium.
Although Vasco appealed the decision, it was unsuccessful. As a result, Flamengo and Fluminense will continue to use the iconic venue for their home matches.
However, Vasco da Gama may still be able to move games to the Maracanã if both Flamengo and Fluminense agree.
While Vasco da Gama currently plays their matches at the historic São Januário stadium, they prefer the Maracanã for high-profile matches due to their large fan base.
Vasco da Gama had argued that they were willing to pay rent for using the stadium, but Flamengo and Fluminense were concerned that additional matches could damage the pitch at the ground. They also pointed out that they had been using the venue for years and had a responsibility to maintain it.
Fluminense president Mário Bittencourt criticised Vasco da Gama’s owners, 777 Partners, accusing them of “destroying” the stadium’s pitch and selecting only games that were profitable. In response, Vasco CEO Luiz Mello denied the accusations and stated that the pitch had previously suffered damage. He also promised to try to move their match against Santos on May 14 to the Maracanã.
The Maracanã Stadium, which opened its doors in 1950 for the World Cup, is still considered Rio and Brazil’s premier stadium. The venue was renovated in preparation for the 2014 World Cup and has a capacity of 72,000. Botafogo, one of the other prominent clubs in Rio de Janeiro, plays its home matches at the Engenhão, which served as the Olympic Stadium during the 2016 Olympic Games.
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