Judge halts Vasco bid to host Boca semi at Maracanã amid fan lawsuit | OneFootball

Vasco have suffered a legal setback in their bid to stage the Copa Sudamericana semi-final second leg against Boca Juniors at the Maracanã on 20 October, after judge Adriana Laia Franco suspended the club’s SAF action against stadium operator Fla-Flu Serviços S.A.

According to Globo.com, the judge said the issue is already before another court in a Popular Action filed by a Vasco fan on 29 September, challenging whether the operator must make the Maracanã available for the tie. An initial injunction was refused, and an appeal to the Court of Justice’s fifth Public Law Chamber is pending.

She found that, although the lawsuits involve different parties and legal grounds, both address the same practical question of Vasco using the Maracanã for the semi-final, creating a risk of conflicting rulings. She added that the second instance outcome could directly affect the SAF case.

As the suits sit in courts with different jurisdictions, consolidation was deemed unfeasible. The judge gave Fla-Flu Serviços S.A 48 hours to respond to Vasco’s urgent-relief request, then stayed the case until the Popular Action is resolved.

Vasco filed their lawsuit on Thursday after the Maracanã consortium rejected a formal request to host the match. The club argues Maracanã is needed not only for capacity but to comply with CONMEBOL rules requiring at least 30,000 from the semi-finals, so São Januário cannot be used.

The stadium, run by Flamengo and Fluminense, has turned down Vasco three times this year, including Copa do Brasil ties against Vitória and Palmeiras. The operator cited fixture load and pitch wear.

Source: Globo.com

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