Maracanã Concession Faces State Fine, Prosecutors’ Probe and Turf Overhaul

Overview

• The Rio state commission fined the Fla‑Flu consortium R$401,217.48 for repeated cleaning and conservation failures, but collection is suspended after an administrative appeal by the concessionaire.
• The Ministério Público (Gaedest) opened an inquiry into ticket sales and sector overcapacity and has sent evidence, including planilhas and laudos from the Fire Brigade and Military Police, to the Promotoria de Urbanismo for further action.
• Investigators report that access to some operational systems and real‑time entry monitoring was restricted during their review, which complicated verification of whether more tickets were sold than allowed in multiple matches.
• Consórcio CEO Fred Nantes publicly acknowledged poor pitch quality, presented a short‑term maintenance plan and announced a decision to replace the field with Celebration Hybrid turf in 2027 to withstand heavy use.
• Vasco has been denied recent requests to use the Maracanã and is studying legal steps to challenge the 2024 concession; the MP prefers a conduct agreement (TAC) to avoid stadium bans under the sports law and wider disruption to the season.