Rio governor puts sports clubs in charge of Maracana

Posted April 05, 2019 7:00 am

The Associated Press

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) - Rio de Janeiro sports clubs Flamengo and Fluminense will manage the historic Maracana stadium for the next six months.

Gov. Wilson Witzel said Friday during his visit to Boston that the deal with the two clubs, which play soccer at the 78,000-seat stadium, could be extended for another six months.

Rio's state government took back control of the stadium in March and broke the contract with its private administrators of Consorcio Maracana, led by conglomerate Odebrecht.

Witzel said the group owes the state around $10 million, dating to March 2017.

The governor said a new public-private partnership will be made to decide who will operate the Maracana for 35 years.

The Maracana, which hosted two World Cup finals, will host this year's Copa America final on July 7.

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More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/apf-Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Willian of Brazil's Flamengo goes for the ball as Cristian Rodriguez of Uruguay's Penarol looks on from behind during a Copa Libertadores soccer match at Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, April 3, 2019. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) The Associated Press

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