Flamengo rule out Vasco v Boca Juniors at Maracanã over pitch damage | OneFootball

According to Coluna Do Fla, the Maracanã consortium will not release the stadium for Vasco to host Boca Juniors in the Copa Sudamericana semi-final second leg. Flamengo, part of the stadium’s management, has taken a firm stance.

Vasco are already aware and, to try to play there, would have to go to court.

From Flamengo’s side there is no alternative, with a figure linked to the club having made clear the tie will not be staged at the Maracanã.

One of Flamengo’s main arguments is the current state of the pitch, which is not in suitable condition. With an NFL game scheduled for Sunday 27, the operator has applied a form of synthetic fibre to protect the surface.

If Vasco were to play, the pitch would have only two days of recovery before Flamengo face Estudiantes in the Libertadores semi-final at the Maracanã. That has further strengthened the veto.

The return leg is set for Tuesday 20 October, venue still to be confirmed. The first leg is on 13 October at La Bombonera in Buenos Aires. Flamengo’s next match is at Santos on eight October, 19:30 Brasília time, at Vila Belmiro.

Source: Coluna Do Fla

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”