Vasco go to court to stage Boca Juniors semi-final at Maracanã | OneFootball

Vasco have filed an urgent legal action to stage their Copa Sudamericana semi-final against Boca Juniors at the Maracanã. According to Globo.com, the injunction request was lodged on Thursday against Fla-Flu Serviços S.A, the stadium operator, at the 2ª Vara Cível da Comarca da Capital.

The move follows the Maracanã consortium’s refusal on Monday, citing poor pitch conditions and fixture congestion.

Vasco say they are meeting Conmebol rules, not seeking a bigger arena, with a 30,000 minimum capacity from the semi-finals ruling out São Januário.

Management led by Flamengo and Fluminense have rejected Vasco three times this year, with earlier denials for Copa do Brasil ties against Vitória and Palmeiras due to workload and turf wear. The club also note both rivals have played there with shorter turnarounds.

They add that public security assessments support using the Maracanã, and that the ground is booked two days later for Flamengo v Estudiantes in the Libertadores on 22 October at 21:30.

Vasco argue the Estádio Nilton Santos would impose a sporting disadvantage because of its synthetic surface. They have not played any Sudamericana matches on synthetic turf, and São Januário and the Maracanã are natural grass.

Conmebol wants the venue set by early October, with regulations requiring confirmation 10 days in advance. The tie starts at La Bombonera on 13 October, then concludes in Rio de Janeiro. Atlético-MG face Montevideo City Torque in the other semi-final.

Source: Globo.com

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