Campeonato Brasileiro Série A football club Flamengo has taken a major step towards building a new stadium after purchasing a package of land in Rio de Janeiro.
The site formerly housed the São Cristóvão Gasômetro and has been managed by financial services group Caixa Econômica Federal since 2009. Flamengo first expressed an interest in taking over the 86,000-square-metre site back in 2022.
Earlier this week, the club’s Deliberative Council approved its proposal to take part in yesterday’s (Wednesday’s) auction. The 7th Federal Court of Rio de Janeiro later suspended the auction before allowing it to take place.
Flamengo was the only party to submit an offer and has agreed to acquire the land for a fee of R$138.195m (£19.1m/€22.7m/$24.5m). Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes approved Flamengo’s bid and the club will be required to present a final project within 18 months of signing the purchase and sale agreement.
Flamengo’s board has previously set a targeted opening date of November 15, 2029, but club president Rodolfo Landim has suggested it might be able to open earlier. Landim has also said that a naming-rights sponsor will be sought.
The club is seeking to build an 80,000-seat stadium on the site but has faced obstacles in recent years as negotiations with the state-owned institution did not progress. Talks have been moved forward by Paes, a fan of Flamengo’s rivals Vasco da Gama, and in June the City of Rio said it would expropriate land for the project.
Speaking after yesterday’s auction, Landim said: “We are happy, but also relieved, because we know the responsibility of being here working to fulfil the dreams of so many people. We know the positive impact that news like this can have on our fans.
“As the football club with the largest fan base and greatest passion in the country, the sky is the limit. Anything is possible for Flamengo. We always have to think big, but more than that, we have to dream and work to make Flamengo even bigger.”
Paes added: “A Flamengo stadium is good for the city. We are carrying out a fundamental urban transformation for Rio in Porto Maravilha. From the beginning, we have sought to bring iconic facilities to the site and this stadium will be very good for Rio, bringing investment and improvements to the city.”
Flamengo has played at the Estadio de Maracanã since it was constructed in 1950. Last month, the Rio de Janeiro State Government confirmed that a consortium formed by Flamengo and Fluminense had been awarded a contract to manage the stadium for the next 20 years. Flamengo secured the contract while continuing to explore plans for a new stadium.
