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Rio de Janeiro clubs fighting over ticket prices

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) - Rio de Janeiro's top football clubs are in a dispute over ticket prices for the upcoming local championship, with Flamengo and Fluminense saying they may lose money if the local federation sticks to its decision to significantly lower prices for this year's tournament.

Fluminense is accusing the federation of dictatorship-era practices in its decisions, while Flamengo says it may have to avoid playing at the Maracana Stadium to reduce losses. Flamengo and Fluminense have a partnership with the new Maracana owners and there are pre-determined ticket prices on their contracts.

Vasco da Gama and Botafogo backed the federation's ruling to lower prices, which would range from $8 to $40 when the competition starts this weekend. The smaller clubs also agree with the federation, which hopes to improve attendance in the traditional regional tournament that last year averaged only about 3,000 fans per match.

The clubs and the federation are expected to meet again later this week to further discuss the matter.

Flamengo president said the club, Brazil's most popular, would lose about $1.2 million if the prices stand.

"We will have to pay money to play in the tournament," Eduardo Bandeira de Mello told ESPN Brasil. "That's unacceptable."

Fluminense, which also wants to be able to set its own ticket prices, compared the decisions made by the Rio de Janeiro federation to those in a military dictatorship. The accusations came in a statement released after the federation ordered the club to play its tournament opener in the city Volta Redonda, about 130 kilometers (80 miles) from Rio, instead of the Maracana as originally scheduled.

In addition to setting ticket prices and determining where matches are played, the federation also has included in the tournament regulations a $20,000 fine for anyone who criticizes the competition.

High ticket prices have been partly blamed for the lack of interest of fans in the Rio tournament in recent years.

Regional tournaments are played across Brazil in the first few months of the year, with the Brazilian league beginning in May and running through December.

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