Flamengo change altitude plan, book oxygenated hotel in Cusco | OneFootball

Flamengo have altered their altitude strategy for Wednesday’s Libertadores opener in Cusco, choosing to arrive the night before and sleep in a hotel with oxygen-enriched rooms to mitigate the impact of 3,350 metres.

According to Globo.com, the holders face Cusco FC at the Estadio Garcilaso de la Veja at 21:30 Brasília time, 19:30 local, after beating Santos 3-1 on Sunday.

Sports medicine often advises arriving only hours before, but Flamengo will land on Tuesday night and spend more than 24 hours in the city. The JW Marriott El Convento has rooms with piped oxygen, cutting the perceived altitude by about 1,000 metres, so players will feel as if they are below 2,500 metres, where symptoms begin.

The option of sleeping in Lima and flying on matchday was dropped due to heavy traffic and the 1,100 km distance, with the flight alone around one hour 30 minutes plus airport time.

One drawback is the hotel’s location in Cusco’s historic centre, where buses are not permitted. The squad will therefore use several vans for airport transfers and the trip to the stadium.

As this is a new approach, a representative visited Cusco the day after the Conmebol draw. Logistics were drawn up by manager Gabriel Skinner and supervisor Márcio Santos, then approved by Leonardo Jardim’s staff.

Flamengo cannot fly direct from Rio de Janeiro to Cusco because the airport only takes smaller aircraft, so they will go to Arequipa, 500 km away, then take a local flight of about 50 minutes. After the game they will return to the hotel, as the airport shuts at night, and fly back to Brazil on Thursday morning.

Source: Globo.com