Severiano Braga dismissed by Fla-Flu consortium as Maracanã operations chief after pitch criticism | OneFootball

According to Coluna Do Fla, the Consórcio Fla-Flu has dismissed Severiano Braga as Maracanã director of operations and infrastructure.

Luis Felipe de Barros, previously the stadium’s contracts manager, takes over. He had chaired the Council for Oversight, Management and Operation until March 2026.

Braga had worked on the Maracanã project since 2019 under the Rodolfo Landim administration, when Flamengo and Fluminense secured usage rights to the complex. Formerly at Mineirão, he served as CEO until the arrival this year of Fred Nantes, ex-Conmebol.

His exit comes one day after centre-back Léo Pereira publicly criticised the Maracanã pitch, following Flamengo’s win over Cruzeiro in the Libertadores last 16. Flamengo had already been concerned internally about the surface, judging conditions to be below previous standards.

Scheduling has long been contentious, with the committee tasked with reducing calendar conflicts. Vasco repeatedly went to court seeking to stage matches at the Maracanã.

Requests were rejected due to congested runs of fixtures and pitch wear. Most recently, Vasco’s bid to host their Copa do Brasil quarter-final against Vitória was denied in court.

The change comes amid a need to find solutions to improve the surface, with hopes the stadium offers better conditions for upcoming commitments during a crowded period of the season.

Source: Coluna Do Fla

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