Vasco da Gama President Pedrinho has officially stated he will no longer pursue the Maracanã for the club’s matches, confirming the ‘Clássico dos Milhões’ will be held at São Januário stadium.
The relationship between the management of Vasco and Flamengo has reached a new critical point. In a press conference held this Friday (25th), Vasco’s president, Pedrinho, revealed that he has decided to end attempts to host games at the Maracanã.
The final straw for the decision was the stance of Flamengo’s president, Rodolfo Landim (referred to as Bap in this context), regarding Vasco’s requests.
Even with a current contract that would guarantee the right to use the venue, the leader of Gigante da Colina stated that he no longer intends to request the stadium.
Pedrinho declared:
“I will no longer ask to play at the Maracanã, as I am not accepted. I have a stadium, so I want to play at São Januário.”
This statement reinforces the club’s autonomy at its historic home ground.
Full Focus on São Januário for the Brasileirão
The decision directly impacts the Brazilian Championship calendar. While the first leg of the ‘Clássico dos Milhões’ was held at the Maracanã, Pedrinho assured that the second-leg confrontation will take place within Vasco’s own grounds.
The directive is clear: the club will not give up playing in front of its fans at its own stadium, regardless of previous agreements that stipulated the use of the facility managed by their rival.
The Impasse Against Boca Juniors
In addition to the national derby, the club is dealing with an impasse concerning the match against Boca Juniors (ARG). Due to capacity and infrastructure requirements from CONMEBOL, Vasco sought the Maracanã but faced resistance from the consortium managed by Flamengo, which cited risks to the pitch.
Pedrinho lamented the lack of response to the official letter sent and questioned the authorities:
“I made an appeal to the Public Authorities and the BEPE, questioning why they couldn’t guarantee security for 1,500 visiting fans at São Januário, when they already guarantee security for high-risk games with over a million people in other contexts.”
This shift in stance marks a new era in Vasco’s management, prioritizing the strengthening of São Januário over complex negotiations for the rental of Rio de Janeiro’s main stadium.
The expectation now is on how security agencies and sports entities will react to the pressure imposed by Vasco’s board for holding major games at the historic Colina stadium.
To follow the developments of this dispute and the club’s next steps in the season, continue following the M360 Team.
