Vasco refuse to repay R$ 700,000 to Arena das Dunas and demand a further R$ 300,000 | OneFootball

Vasco da Gama have escalated their legal battle with Arena das Dunas in Rio de Janeiro, refusing to return money from a cancelled friendly and demanding the outstanding balance plus fines. The club filed a counterclaim after the Natal stadium sought repayment over Montevideo Wanderers.

According to PaponaColina, Vasco ask the court to throw out the claim and confirm there was no breach by the club. Their lawyers argue the July fixture was cancelled due to organiser failings and a lack of guarantees to the Uruguayan side.

Vasco also dispute who paid. They say Arena das Dunas made no advance, asserting deposits came from third parties outside the contract, leaving the stadium without standing to demand a refund.

The club further contend there was partial default, not an advance, because the agreement required R$ one million on the due date and only 70% was paid. They want Liga Universitária added as a party.

Citing a precedent with the same organisers, they note a Santa Cruz v Defensa y Justicia friendly also collapsed amid commercial disagreements. Vasco blame the Vitória Cup brand and suggest bad faith in the commercial exploitation of cancelled events.

They seek to keep R$ 700,000, recover a further R$ 300,000, impose R$ 10,000 penalties per breached item, and claim costs. Vasco also ask the court to deny a precautionary asset seizure, noting the institution is under court supervised recovery.

Source: PaponaColina