Greenleaf plan fuels Maracanã row as Vasco seek Boca semi-final venue | OneFootball

Vasco’s attempt to host Boca Juniors at the Maracanã has taken an awkward turn after a recovery plan by Greenleaf Gramados, which also services São Januário, was used to oppose the club’s request.

According to PaponaColina, in a fresh court filing the stadium operator, Fla-Flu Serviços, cited a Greenleaf schedule drawn up after September’s NFL game, arguing the pitch needs time and cannot stage the Sudamericana semi-final.

Greenleaf maintains the pitches at both the Maracanã and São Januário, meaning a Vasco partner features in paperwork deployed against the club. Reaction on social media was immediate.

Complaints about São Januário’s surface pre-date this dispute. In May, Vasco demanded adjustments to grass height, saying it affected home matches. According to ge, some games saw the cut too high and others too low.

The issue annoyed players, staff and the board, to the point a change of provider was considered. Internally, the draw with Paysandu included a view the surface hindered Saldivia in his own goal. This came months after a full relaid at the end of 2025 with Bermuda Celebration, also used at CT Moacyr Barbosa and the Maracanã.

Vasco still await a venue decision expected on Monday 5. The club must inform Conmebol today if the match will be outside the Rio municipality, otherwise it has until Saturday 10 for a venue inside the city.

Options are the Maracanã, pursued in court, Nilton Santos, resisted internally over its synthetic turf, and Mané Garrincha in Brasília. The board prefer São Januário for sporting reasons, but it falls short of the 30,000 semi-final minimum, and Pedrinho had floated seeking an exception with Boca and Conmebol. The first leg is on 13 October at 21:30 at the Bombonera, with the return on 20 October at 21:30, venue to be confirmed.

Source: PaponaColina

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