After Flamengo vetoes Maracanã, Vasco face deadline for Boca venue

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·29 September 2026

After Flamengo vetoes Maracanã, Vasco face deadline for Boca venue

Vasco is still seeking solutions regarding the venue for the match against Boca Juniors (ARG), in the second leg of the Copa Sudamericana semifinal

Conmebol has set a final deadline for Vasco to confirm the venue for the match against Boca Juniors (ARG), on October 20, for the Copa Sudamericana semifinal. Therefore, the club has until next Monday (05) to inform the governing body of its decision.

Vasco’s initial plan was to host the match at the Maracanã, the traditional stage for the club’s decisive games. However, the Maracanã Consortium, which is managed by Flamengo and Fluminense, denied the request. According to the stadium’s CEO, Fred Nantes, the refusal was due to technical issues related to the pitch, which would need recovery time.

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Why doesn’t Flamengo want Vasco’s match at the Maracanã?

Besides the technical justification, Flamengo’s schedule during the same period also weighs heavily. That is because Rubro-Negro will face Estudiantes (ARG) in the second leg of the Libertadores semifinal on October 22, at the Maracanã. In this scenario, if Vasco were to play Boca Juniors at the ‘Sacred Temple,’ the pitch would have just over two days to recover.

What are Vasco’s alternatives now?

With the first idea rejected, Vasco has not ruled out playing against Boca Juniors at São Januário. However, for that to happen, president Pedrinho is already considering speaking with Riquelme, head of the Argentine club, regarding the issue of away-fan allocation. Finally, even if the clubs reach an agreement, Conmebol still needs to approve it.

Where will the Flamengo vs Vasco match, for the Brasileirão, take place?

Amid all this stadium confusion, Pedrinho has already stated that he will break the agreement and will not hold the derby against Flamengo, for the Brasileirão, at the Maracanã. In his remarks, the Vasco president made it clear that he will try to host the clash at São Januário.

Now, speaking about the match against Flamengo, even though there is a contract, I said harsh things about Flamengo president Bap personally, but I’m not asking to play at the Maracanã, I have a contract. He claimed the contract was bad, and I respected that. I’m not going to keep depending on that,” he said, before concluding: “I’m already warning that even though there is a contract and in the first half of the season, I will want Vasco and Flamengo in the second half to be at São Januário. I will no longer ask to play at the Maracanã, because I am not accepted there. I have a stadium, so I want to play at São Januário,” Pedrinho concluded.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.