Vasco barred from hosting Sudamericana semi-final at São Januário due to capacity rule | OneFootball

Vasco have reached a continental semi-final for the first time in 15 years but cannot host it at São Januário. According to PaponaColina, Conmebol’s disciplinary and infrastructure rules require semi-final venues to hold at least 30,000, while São Januário is capped at 20,419 under police safety restrictions.

Their place was sealed on Tuesday 15 with a 2-0 win over Santa Fe, Bruno Duarte and David scoring. Vasco now await the winner of São Paulo’s tie with Boca Juniors.

With São Januário off the table, the club must pick an alternative home for their leg. In Rio de Janeiro, only Maracanã and Estádio Nilton Santos satisfy the seat threshold.

Maracanã, the preferred option, is complicated by recent administrative friction. The stadium’s consortium blocked its use in the Copa do Brasil quarter-finals to protect the pitch, and court bids for injunctions were rejected.

Last week, executive Fred Nantes struck a sceptical tone over opening the ground for a Vasco date away from São Januário. He questioned the technical feasibility of adding fixtures before any formal request, noting agronomic reports still oppose more dates.

Vasco’s previous semi-final came in 2011, when they drew with Universidad de Chile in the capital then lost 2-0 in Santiago under Cristóvão Borges. The staff must now manage the logistics to keep their pursuit of a first Sudamericana crown alive.

Source: PaponaColina

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