Former Flamengo president criticises Bap over new stadium project

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·24 March 2026

Former Flamengo president criticises Bap over new stadium project

What did Eduardo Bandeira de Mello say about Flamengo’s new stadium project?

Flamengo fans continue to dream of building the club’s own stadium. However, while the project for the Rubro-Negro’s new home is still being developed, former president Eduardo Bandeira de Mello criticized Luiz Eduardo Baptista’s planning, the club’s current president.

— I have always had reservations about this Gasômetro stadium for several reasons, such as the fact that it is written in the bidding notice that the club is responsible for adapting the road system, the issue of soil contamination, relocating the gas pipelines — this could end up bringing some very unpleasant additional costs — he said, before concluding:

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— On the other hand, I think the space is too small for a Flamengo stadium. People talked about a stadium for 80,000 and they have already started reducing it; one day it will be the size of Engenhão (Botafogo’s stadium). I think that if it is not possible to have the Maracanã, which is the ideal, then they should go for a bigger stadium, a stadium the size of the fanbase, if that is possible. I don’t know the details of the project, but I don’t like the location, the bidding notice, or the fact that it is smaller than the Maracanã — Bandeira de Mello concluded during the ‘Fut Summit’ event.

What are the details of Flamengo’s new stadium?

Flamengo’s new stadium will be located in São Cristóvão, Rio de Janeiro. In addition, Mengão’s home will occupy an area of 86,000 square meters. Therefore, the projected capacity is 77,923 people. At the Maracanã, for example, the attendance limit is over 78,000.

Is Flamengo’s stadium project ‘stalled’?

Flamengo president Bap is continuing the project for the club’s new stadium cautiously. This is because the Rubro-Negro holds the concession for the Maracanã for 19 years, together with Fluminense, which serves as a guarantee for the club’s president.

We have the concession for the Maracanã for 19 years, obtained by the previous administration. Under the previous management, the Maracanã generated a margin of about 30% per match. Under our management, Maracanã revenues have doubled and our margin has gone from 30% to 72%. The Maracanã is ours for 19 years. I have 19 years to wait and see whether I really need to build our own stadium or not. In practice, I already have a stadium for two decades, which is the Maracanã under concession. We are not leaving there. Now, imagine the following: if a new stadium does not have a business model that generates much more money for Flamengo than the Maracanã does today — and without the club having to invest anything — why would I build it? Besides, everything depends on timing and circumstances. Today, Brazil, as a country, has one of the highest interest rates in the world. If we decided to build a stadium for Flamengo, it would cost more than 500 million euros. The interest on that would be around 75 million euros per year. I would have to pay, in interest alone, the equivalent of almost two Lucas Paquetás per year. Why would I do that when I have the Maracanã? I have land, but if one day interest rates in Brazil go back to 2% or 3% per year, as they were a few years ago during the pandemic, then maybe it will make sense to build a stadium. With the current rates, it is better to keep the money in the bank and play at the Maracanã, which has been giving us excellent results, while also having resources to sign players like Lucas Paquetá. If I build a stadium, without a doubt, all the structure I have created will be impacted. Every choice implies giving something up. If I decide to build a stadium, there will certainly be no Samuel Lino or Lucas Paquetá, but I may have a new stadium. The goal is to generate revenue. It is a financial and economic decision. I cannot compromise the future of our team to build a stadium that is a 50-year project. We need to balance these variables,” Bap said in an interview with Spain’s ‘Diario AS’.

What is the current status of the new stadium project?

Still under Rodolfo Landim’s administration, Flamengo bought the Gasômetro land with the promise that the stadium would be delivered in 2029. However, with the change in leadership, the new president, Luiz Eduardo Baptista, known as Bap, carried out several studies and ruled out the deadline initially given.

With the current group, the target has moved to 2036 or later. In addition, Flamengo expects an investment of R$ 2.2 billion. Bap, however, has been cautious about the subject and does not want the stadium to weaken the club’s financial strength for signing players, for example.

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