Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice suspends injunction allowing Vasco to host match at Maracanã, prioritizing pitch preservation and the international schedule.
The legal dispute over the use of Maracanã stadium reached a new turning point this Saturday, shaking up Rio de Janeiro’s football scene and fueling debates regarding the management of multi-purpose arenas. Fla-Flu Serviços S.A., the concessionaire managed by Flamengo and Fluminense, successfully obtained a preliminary injunction to halt the order granting access to the pitch for the match between Vasco and Boca Juniors, initially scheduled for October 20.
With the ruling from Judge Suely Lopes Magalhães, the first vice-president of the TJ-RJ (Court of Justice of Rio de Janeiro), the veto previously imposed by rapporteur Alexandre de Carvalho Mesquita has been reinstated. This decision overturns the authorization issued the day before by Judge Marco Antônio Ibrahim, which had opened the stadium’s doors for the Copa Sudamericana semifinal clash.
Pitch preservation and a congested schedule
The core of the technical dispute revolves around the integrity of the playing field, which recently underwent a complete overhaul between late September and early October following an NFL event. The arena’s management argues that the new turf still lacks proper root establishment, making it unsustainable to host consecutive matches in such a short window.
The Mengão schedule in the Copa Libertadores puts further pressure on the stadium’s operations. The Rubro-Negro club is set to face Estudiantes on October 21, just 24 hours after the date requested by Vasco, with an official inspection by CONMEBOL scheduled for the same day.
The concessionaire maintains that the newly installed surface does not have the necessary stability to withstand such an intense flow of high-stakes matches in such a short period.
Legal grounds and complex security
Beyond the agronomic concerns, the court decision pointed to procedural failures in the previous authorization, including disregarded notification deadlines and jurisdictional conflicts between magistrates. Another determining factor was public security logistics. At the same time as the international match, the Maracanãzinho gymnasium is set to host a classic NBB game, which would overwhelm the area with multiple flows of rival supporter groups.
As the legal battle continues in the Special Body of the TJ-RJ, the logistical alternative pointed out by authorities is the Estádio Nilton Santos. The stadium, managed by Botafogo, already has a viability certificate from the Military Police to host more than 44,000 fans, meeting the requirements needed for South American competitions.
