The club must now pick a venue for the Sudamericana semi‑final second leg against Boca Juniors. The Maracanã Consortium, run by Flamengo and Fluminense, again denied the Rio side’s request to host the Oct 20 match, citing a packed calendar and the need to protect the pitch.
Venue options Vasco is weighing for the Boca tie
After Maracanã’s snub, Vasco’s board revisited São Januário, its home ground. Yet CONMEBOL mandates at least 30,000 seats for semi‑finals, and the venue falls short of that threshold.
Consequently, Vasco is lobbying CONMEBOL for a special waiver to stage the tie at São Januário. President Pedrinho publicly backed the plan and is also in talks with Boca chief Juan Román Riquelme.
Another candidate is Botafogo’s Nilton Santos Stadium, which meets the capacity rule. The catch? Its surface is synthetic, and Brazilian media report Boca would balk at playing on turf.
Vasco also hints at taking the matter to court to overturn the consortium’s denial. The club previously sued over a failed bid to use the stadium for a Copa Brasil clash with Vitória, but lost. The legal gamble seems desperate.
Pedrinho’s push to play at São Januário
Pedrinho stressed that his priority is to host Boca at Vasco’s own ground. He urged greater flexibility to satisfy safety and organisational standards. “Facing Boca, my first choice remains São Januário, yet we must respect CONMEBOL’s rules,” he told GE.
The venue dilemma piles onto a schedule that sees the first leg on Oct 13 at La Bombonera and the return on Oct 20 in Rio, with the stadium still unconfirmed.