Khaberni - The Brazilian region of Rio de Janeiro has announced the sale of the legendary Maracana stadium, in an attempt to cover a portion of its accumulated debts.
The stadium is considered one of the most prominent sports landmarks in the world, but its costly maintenance has made it an increasing financial burden on local authorities.
The stadium has a rich history, having hosted World Cup finals, Copa Libertadores, and Copa America, and for many years, it was the shared home of the city's two major clubs, Flamengo and Fluminense.
Maracana Stadium has hosted matches of the Brazilian national team, the historic World Cup champions, and is associated with memorable football events, including the "Samba team's" loss of the 1950 World Cup title against Uruguay in front of their fans.
The Spanish newspaper "As" stated that the Rio state government seeks to sell the stadium at a starting price of 320 million euros, as part of a plan to pay off a portion of its huge debts to the federal government.
The regional administration described the sale process as "urgent," not only because of the expected financial return but also to reduce operational losses, as the cost of operating the stadium is estimated at about 160,000 euros per game.
It noted that the clubs Flamengo and Fluminense are the main candidates to purchase the stadium, currently using it as their main venue for matches.
Flamengo has a project to build a new stadium during the next ten years, but the offer to sell Maracana could change their plans, giving them the opportunity to own the historic stadium.
As for Fluminense, it seems less likely to move, as its current contract for using the stadium extends until 2044, while Flamengo is in talks with the Rio municipality to finalize the agreement before this date.
