Flamengo Goes to Court to Bar Vasco from the Maracanã
Consortium challenges ruling for Boca Juniors match, while club also protests refereeing at the CBF.
The Fla-Flu consortium has appealed to the Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice to overturn an injunction allowing Vasco to host Boca Juniors at the Maracanã. Bernardo Ramos analyzes the stadium management dispute and Flamengo's refereeing protest.
The Fla-Flu consortium, managed by Flamengo and Fluminense, has appealed to the presidency of the Rio de Janeiro State Court of Justice to overturn an injunction granted to Vasco da Gama. The court ruling had granted the Cruz-Maltino club the right to play at the Maracanã on October 20 in the second leg of the Copa Sudamericana semifinals against Boca Juniors. The news, first reported by journalist Diogo Dantas from O Globo, marks another chapter in the public feud between Flamengo president Bap and Vasco head Pedrinho.
According to Bernardo Ramos, the public concession for the stadium—split 65% for Flamengo and 35% for Fluminense—gives the Fla-Flu Serviços SA consortium the legal right of veto to protect the pitch. In the video above, Bernardo explains how the aggressive schedule planned for the season, with an estimated 76 to 77 matches, justifies technical restrictions following the recent pitch renovation.
Maracanã management and the new stadium project
According to Bernardo, the stance of the board led by Bap to prioritize managing the Maracanã over immediately building a new stadium in Gasômetro is the right call. The plan established in 2024 under Rodolfo Landim's administration, which projected construction through 2029, would require financial commitments that could jeopardize payroll and football department investments. Bernardo believes the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) acted hastily by confirming Vasco's match at the venue before all available legal appeals were exhausted.
CBF protest and refereeing controversies
In addition to the stadium dispute, Flamengo filed a formal complaint with the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) over the officiating of referee Anderson Daronco and VAR official Rodolfo Tosqui Marques in their match against Santos. According to reporting from Rodrigo Matos, the club is contesting the federation's partial response regarding crucial incidents, including Marçal avoiding a red card and an uncalled penalty on Luiz Araújo against Gabriel, despite the penalty conceded by Jorginho being confirmed.
Palmeiras also voiced sharp criticism against Flamengo's complaint. In its report, Flamengo highlighted a striking statistic: it has received the second-most red cards in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, while ranking only 17th among the 20 clubs in fouls committed. In Bernardo's view, the refereeing crew's performance in that fixture severely compromised the Rio club.