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Vasco da Gama sues to secure Maracanã for Boca Juniors semifinal
Vasco da Gama has filed a lawsuit against the Maracanã stadium administration, Fla-Flu Serviços S.A., to secure the venue for the second leg of the Copa Sudamericana semifinal against Boca Juniors on October 20. The legal action follows multiple denials from the stadium consortium, which cited technical issues and pitch degradation as reasons for the veto.
CONMEBOL regulations require semifinal matches to be held in stadiums with a minimum capacity of 30,000 spectators. Vasco’s home ground, São Januário, does not meet this requirement. While the club is attempting to negotiate an exceptional capacity increase with CONMEBOL and local authorities, the Rio de Janeiro Military Police have suggested that the Maracanã would be a safer and more suitable option for managing the expected 4,000 visiting Boca Juniors fans.
In addition to the legal battle, Vasco is working on a security protocol to potentially host the match at São Januário by expanding visitor sections. If neither the Maracanã nor São Januário is approved, the club may consider the Nilton Santos stadium as a final alternative. The club must finalize its venue choice with CONMEBOL by early October.
Entities
Boca Juniors · CONMEBOL · Maracanã · Pedrinho · São Januário · Vasco da Gama
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Vasco da Gama aims to host the second leg of the CONMEBOL Sudamericana semifinal against Boca Juniors at São Januário on October 20.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Nilton Santos stadium is a backup option, but Boca Juniors has expressed concerns regarding its synthetic turf.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Vasco is proposing to expand the visitor area at São Januário to meet the 4,000-seat requirement, potentially reducing home fan capacity.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] CONMEBOL has set an October 5 deadline for Vasco to confirm the venue for the match.
- [● 2 SOURCES] CONMEBOL regulations require a minimum of 4,000 tickets for visiting fans.
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Maracanã stadium consortium, led by Flamengo and Fluminense, refused Vasco's request to use the venue due to pitch wear.
- [● 2 SOURCES] The first leg of the semifinal will be played at La Bombonera in Argentina on October 13.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Boca Juniors has maintained its demand for 4,000 visitor seats.