Sports
Flamengo Moves NBB Game After Court Ruling on Maracanã
The clash against Botafogo moves behind closed doors to Tijuca Tênis Clube due to Vasco's Copa Sudamericana match.
Flamengo was forced to move its NBB basketball matchup against Botafogo from the Maracanãzinho to Tijuca Tênis Clube, where it will be played behind closed doors at an earlier time. The change follows a court ruling granting Vasco use of the Maracanã for its Copa Sudamericana clash against Boca Juniors. Commentator Bernardo Ramos weighs in on the fallout and the debate surrounding Flamengo building its own stadium.
The NBB matchup between Flamengo and Botafogo has undergone a forced change of date, time, and venue. Originally scheduled for 8:30 PM this Tuesday at the Maracanãzinho, with tickets on sale since August, the game was pushed forward to 6:00 PM at the Tijuca Tênis Clube gymnasium and will be played behind closed doors. The directive follows a ruling by the president of Brazil's Superior Court of Justice (STJ), Luiz Felipe Salomão, granting Vasco da Gama access to the Maracanã stadium for their Copa Sudamericana semifinal against Boca Juniors.
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Impact on Security and Basketball Fans
In the video above, Bernardo Ramos analyzes how the tight timing between the two events made hosting the basketball derby with fans at the Maracanãzinho impossible. Had the NBB game kept its original 8:30 PM slot, it would have overlapped with arriving soccer crowds for the Maracanã match scheduled just an hour later. Citing safety concerns and the venue switch to Tijuca Tênis Clube, Flamengo will refund all ticket holders, leaving supporters unable to watch the clash in person.
Scrutiny Over the Maracanã Consortium
For Ramos, the STJ's ruling sets an arbitrary and damaging precedent for the concession model governing the sports complex under Fla-Flu Serviços SA. The consortium, 65% owned by Flamengo and led by CEO Fred Landim (formerly of CONMEBOL), is now compelled to open the arena to third parties. The commentator notes that Vasco chose not to participate in the 2024 Maracanã bidding process, adding that a purported agreement granting Vasco four matches at the stadium bore signatures from Flamengo and Fluminense, but not from the consortium as a formal entity.
Financial Risks of a Private Stadium at Gasômetro
Amid ongoing obstacles at the Maracanã, Ramos argues that building a proprietary stadium on the Gasômetro site by 2029 poses a severe risk to Flamengo's balance sheet. The deal spearheaded by former president Rodolfo Landim required R$ 140 million to purchase the land—which has environmental contamination issues, as reported by Fabrício Kica of the Mundo da Bola channel—and would require over R$ 2 billion in construction costs. Although the club reported gross revenue of R$ 2.078 billion in 2025, Ramos warns that gross revenue is not net profit, and high interest payments on debt could trigger financial turmoil similar to Corinthians' struggles with the Neo Química Arena.
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