Corinthians seek venue options for Women’s Brasileirão quarter-finals | OneFootball

Corinthians will have to find a new venue to host Cruzeiro in the second leg of the Women’s Brazilian Championship quarterfinals. The match is scheduled for September 7 at 5 p.m. (Brasília time), but it cannot be played at Fazendinha due to a competition regulation requirement.

From the knockout rounds onward, the CBF requires stadiums used to have a minimum capacity of 10,000 seated fans, in addition to adequate lighting infrastructure for night matches and broadcasts. Alfredo Schürig Stadium, at Parque São Jorge, does not reach that number.

Photo: Rodrigo Gazzanel / Ag. Corinthians

According to a report linked to the São Paulo Football Federation, Fazendinha has a total capacity of 9,873 people, considering only the areas currently in use. The same document sets 9,500 seats as the official capacity to be considered and indicates 9,000 fans as the limit with a safety margin.

Because of this, Corinthians is already evaluating other options to host the decisive clash against Cruzeiro. The information was reported by Meu Timão.

West Stand remains closed

One of the factors reducing Fazendinha’s capacity is the situation of the West Stand. The section has been closed since 2018, after evaluations by the São Paulo Football Federation and the Military Police identified safety issues.

Since then, the stadium has only used the North, South, and East stands. Currently, part of the closed section’s area is assigned to Corinthians’ rowing department and also houses a Military Police post.

The stadium’s capacity map shows 4,432 seats in the North section, 3,553 in the South, and 1,888 in the East. Combined, the sections total the 9,873 seats counted in the survey, below the minimum required for this stage of the Women’s Brasileirão.

Neo Química Arena is among the possibilities

Neo Química Arena is among the stadiums being considered by Corinthians, although its use is seen as difficult at the moment.

Coach Emily Lima had already publicly expressed her desire to take the decisive clash to Itaquera. The main obstacle, however, lies in the men’s team schedule.

One day before the Brabas’ match, on September 6, Corinthians will host Chapecoense at Neo Química Arena in the 26th round of the men’s Brazilian Championship. The closeness of the two matches complicates operational issues, pitch preparation, and stadium logistics. Even so, the Arena remains among the alternatives being studied by the club.

Canindé already hosted the Brabas in 2026

Another possible option is Canindé, Portuguesa’s stadium. The venue has already hosted three Corinthians matches in the current Women’s Brazilian Championship and, from a sporting standpoint, brought good results.

The Brabas beat Santos 4-1, Vitória 4-0, and Mixto 4-1 at the stadium located on Marginal Tietê.

Despite the positive results on the field, the matches had a negative financial impact for Corinthians. Against Santos, the club recorded a loss of R$ 45,958.14. Against Vitória, the negative balance was R$ 36,966.75, while the match against Mixto resulted in a deficit of R$ 57,981.48.

The amounts include costs involved in staging matches away from Parque São Jorge, such as operations and stadium rental.

Pacaembu could also be part of the plans

Pacaembu appears as a third possibility in the city of São Paulo. The Brabas have already used the stadium on other recent occasions, including during the 2025 season.

On that occasion, Corinthians hosted three matches there, involving fixtures in the São Paulo State Championship and knockout clashes in the Brasileirão and the Copa do Brasil.

The choice of stadium, however, will also have to take the financial aspect into account. The board is looking for a solution that meets the CBF’s requirements without excessively increasing operating costs.

Corinthians also posted losses in women’s matches held at Neo Química Arena in 2026. In the 4-0 win over América-MG, the negative balance was R$ 62,015.62. In the 2-0 victory over Fluminense, the loss reached R$ 38,619.46.

Before deciding the home venue, Brabas play in Belo Horizonte

While the board works to define the stadium for the second leg, the squad led by Emily Lima is focused on the first quarterfinal match. Corinthians and Cruzeiro face off this Monday (31), at 7:15 p.m. (Brasília time), at Arena Independência in Belo Horizonte. The return leg will be played on September 7, at 5 p.m., with Corinthians as the home side. The venue, however, still depends on Corinthians’ decision.

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