Vasco ‘to cite’ Del Valle precedent to play Sudamericana semi at São Januário | OneFootball

Vasco have identified a regulatory precedent they hope could allow them to host their Copa Sudamericana semi-final at São Januário. According to Atenção, Vascaínos!, the board are studying Independiente del Valle’s 2025 case, when the Ecuadorian side were cleared to use Estádio Banco Guayaquil despite a capacity far below the rulebook threshold.

In that campaign, Del Valle faced Atlético-MG at the venue, which holds about 12,000, and drew 1-1 without any sporting sanction. The organisers’ approval, despite missing the stipulated mark, suggests the capacity barrier is not absolute in the body’s deliberations.

Competition regulations formally require a minimum of 30,000 seats, yet they also allow exceptions that Vasco can request for São Januário. The club’s ground has public safety clearance for 20,419 spectators, providing technical grounds to argue its infrastructure and crowd control exceed the Ecuadorian example.

The existence of a precedent does not guarantee immediate approval, but it underpins a reasoned application before accepting any venue change. Club lawyers plan to stress that recent technical inspections certify the Rio complex is fully operational, defending their sporting right to play on the Colina Histórica.

Behind the scenes, the push seeks to respect Pedro Emanuel’s squad’s bond with São Januário for a heavyweight tie against Boca Juniors. With the Maracanã alternative still on the radar amid legal disputes with a rival consortium, the coaching staff remain hopeful of seeing the Zona Norte stands in full voice.

The board are awaiting the confederation’s procedural deadlines to lodge their preferred venue for October’s second leg. Supporters are leaning on a flexible reading of the rules so tradition and home backing outweigh seat numbers.

Source: PaponaColina

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