2023-08-22 20:22:35
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The Maracana stadium will remain closed after next weekend’s matchday in the Brazilian league to allow its pitch to recover to host the Copa Libertadores final on Nov. 4.
The administration of the venue — with a capacity for 78,000 spectators — reported on Tuesday that the first thing will be to “carry out the necessary verifications and evaluations.”
The pitch has deteriorated greatly due to recent heavy rains.
“The damage caused cannot be reversed without interrupting the matches,” the administrators added in a statement.
No timeline was given for the reopening of the iconic stadium, site of the 1950 and 2014 World Cup finals. Clubs in Rio de Janeiro fear the closure will be prolonged.
The downpours and the excessive number of games in the last three months have deteriorated the quality of the grass, increasing the risk of injury. Several lagoons formed in the areas during the recent matches for the national championship and the Copa Libertadores.
This year, the Maracana has been the scene of 55 matches, the most for a stadium in Brazil during the period. Stadiums in Europe host an average of 30 games per season, according to the administrators.
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