Vasco‘s board is in a race against time to determine the venue for their decisive clash against Boca Juniors in the Copa Sudamericana, after their request to play at the Maracanã was denied by Flamengo.
The search for a stadium for the Copa Sudamericana semifinal has put Vasco in an urgent situation.
Conmebol has set a strict deadline for the Rio de Janeiro club to inform where they intend to host the second leg match against Boca Juniors, scheduled for October 20.
Consequently, the Vasco management has until next Monday (05) to officially notify the South American governing body of their decision.
The board’s original plan was to use the Maracanã, but the stadium’s administrative consortium’s refusal has drastically altered plans for the decisive confrontation.
Flamengo’s Veto and the Schedule
The official refusal came from the Maracanã Consortium, managed in partnership by Flamengo and Fluminense.
According to the stadium’s CEO, Fred Nantes, the decision was made for strictly technical reasons, aiming to preserve and recover the pitch.
Another determining factor involves Flamengo‘s schedule.
The Rubro-Negro will host Estudiantes at the Maracanã on October 22, for the second leg of the Copa Libertadores semifinal.
If Vasco were to play at the venue just days before, the pitch would have a minimum interval of only two days for maintenance.
Alternatives and the Impact on São Januário
With the veto of Rio de Janeiro’s main stadium, Vasco‘s board is seriously considering hosting the match against the Argentinians at São Januário.
For this to happen, president Pedrinho plans to engage in direct dialogue with Juan Román Riquelme, president of Boca Juniors, to align security matters and the ticket allocation for visiting fans.
Despite the club’s wishes, any last-minute change still depends on formal authorization from Conmebol, which will review the safety and capacity reports for the historic stadium in São Januário.
Strained Relationship with Rival
The controversy has generated a direct side effect behind the scenes of Brazilian football.
President Pedrinho has publicly stated that Vasco will no longer request to play at the Maracanã, even breaking the agreement for the derby against Flamengo in the Campeonato Brasileiro.
Pedrinho declared:
I will no longer ask to play at the Maracanã, as I am not accepted. I have my own stadium, so I want to play at São Januário.
The executive indicated that the second-round derby will also likely take place at Vasco‘s home ground.
The decision on the venue for the match against Boca Juniors symbolizes a turning point for Vasco institutionally, as they seek to consolidate their autonomy regarding their own home grounds.
Monday’s decision will define not only the future in the Copa Sudamericana but also the tone of political relations between the giants of Rio de Janeiro football for the remainder of the season.
By Equipe M360
