A consortium formed by Brazilian football clubs Flamengo and Fluminense is set to land a contract to manage Rio de Janeiro’s Maracanã after submitting a higher bid than a proposal put forward by rival club Vasco da Gama and the WTorre conglomerate.
The Rio de Janeiro State Government confirmed yesterday (Wednesday) that the Fla/Flu Consortium had presented a proposal worth R$20,060,874.12 (£3.2m/€3.7m/$3.9m), slightly more than the R$20,000,777.28 bid placed by Vasco da Gama and WTorre under the ‘Maracanã para Todos Consortium’ banner.
The Government has evaluated the financial values of the bid, which will make up the final grade alongside a score assessing their technical proposals. The winner will be the group that achieves the best technical-financial proposal, and the Fla/Flu Consortium has already received a higher technical score so appears set to be awarded the contract.
The process also included participation from RNGC Consultoria de Negócios Ltda, which was disqualified in the second stage.
In November, Flamengo and Fluminense claimed a one-year extension to their deal to operate the Maracanã, hitting out at Vasco da Gama in the process.
The one-year deal with the Rio de Janeiro State Government for 2024 is for the Maracanã Complex, which includes both the iconic stadium and the adjacent Maracanãzinho arena. It was intended to be a stop-gap measure amid the tender process which has been taking place for the long-term contract.
The new contract will run for 20 years, with the winning proposal to make investments of around R$186m. There are plans to improve the stadium’s water systems, escalators, elevators and air conditioning, and revitalise the venue’s museum.
Flamengo and Fluminense are currently the main tenants of the Maracanã and have managed the stadium since April 2019 after they agreed what was then an initial six-month deal for the Maracanã Complex. That deal came after the Rio Government had announced that it would regain control of the stadium after annulling a contract with its private administrators.
Governor Cláudio Castro said yesterday: “We are close to finishing this process and the official winner will be declared in the next few days. By taking over the complex, the group assumes responsibility for managing and investing in Maracanã and Maracanãzinho for the long term. This stadium is the country’s heritage and we seek to ensure that it remains among the best sports facilities not only in Brazil, but in the world.”
Flamengo president Rodolfo Landim recently detailed his vision for a new 80,000-seat stadium for the club, signalling his intention to buy the necessary land by December.
