Author: Barkha Roy
The Maracanã Stadium, a focal point of recent discussions and even legal disputes, is to be closed from August 26. The stadium management made this announcement on Tuesday, August 22, with the main aim of “completely restoring the playing field”.
Before the temporary closure and rehabilitation of the pitch, two matches are scheduled to take place there. Fluminense will host Olimpia on Thursday, August 24, in the quarter-finals of the Copa Libertadores. On Saturday, August 26, Flamengo will play Internacional in the 26th round of the Brazilian Championship.
After these matches, a comprehensive evaluation will be carried out to determine the schedule and forecast for the resumption of matches at the Maracanã. The stadium will host the Libertadores final on November 11, and Conmebol is also expected to close the stadium in the weeks leading up to the decisive match.
In addition to the sheer volume of games played this year (55), the Maracanã management cited several factors, including the weather conditions and the scheduling of two matches in a span of less than 15 hours last weekend. They emphasized that the match between
Vasco and Atlético-MG, valid for the Brazilian Championship
was held after a court decision.
In an official statement, the Maracanã Complex clarified: “The stadium will undergo a temporary suspension of activities over the next few days to facilitate the rehabilitation of the pitch. With 55 matches already played, the Maracanã has become the most used stadium in the country, surpassing others such as Independência by a considerable margin. As we all know, European stadiums usually host an average of 30 matches per season.“
The statement also acknowledged the adverse impact of climatic factors prevailing in Brazil during this time of year, including reduced light and lower temperatures, on general field conditions. Despite these challenges, the stadium was used twice last weekend, with a gap of less than 15 hours between the two matches. One of those games was the match between Vasco and Atlético Mineiro on Sunday, August 20, a decision imposed by the courts.
Given the circumstances and recognizing that the damage suffered required a pause for recovery, Maracanã’s management announced the suspension of the stadium’s operations from August 26, 2023, to allow for the complete recovery of the pitch.
The specific duration of the Maracanã’s inactivity will be announced shortly, after the conclusion of the next two scheduled matches. During this interval, essential inspections and assessments will be carried out to formulate a comprehensive work plan for the restoration process.
With the Maracanã unavailable to host games after August 26, Flamengo has been exploring alternatives to fulfill its obligations as host. Initially considering the Mané Garrincha Stadium for the match against Athletico-PR, valid for the 23rd round of the Brazilian Championship, Flamengo ended up deciding to move the game to Cariacica, in Espírito Santo.
This change of plans was prompted by concerns about the state of the Mané Garrincha pitch, which caused dissatisfaction among Flamengo officials. This information was first reported by UOL and later confirmed by ge. Recent photos reveal the worn condition of the Mané Garrincha Stadium pitch.
Throughout 2023, the Mané Garrincha had a busy schedule with several matches, even hosting five games in the space of a fortnight. The Supercopa do Brasil opened the series of matches at the stadium, attracting a crowd of 67,422 to watch Palmeiras beat Flamengo.
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In response to questions, Arena BSB, the entity responsible for managing the Mané Garrincha, explained that the pitch is undergoing a replanting process in the northern section. They guarantee that the pitch will be in optimal playing condition by the second half of September or early October.
The concessionaire also said that the stadium is scheduled to host soccer matches until 2023. Notably, the pitch has not been the subject of any complaints in the 13 matches played at the venue this year.
The most recent event hosted at the arena was the final of the Candanguinho U-20 Championship, on August 12, which culminated in a 1-0 victory for Gama over Capital.