Rio Olympic Stadium in State of Abandonment,”Handed Over to the Cats”

Editor’s Update: It’s worth noting that the Maracanã Stadium is a 70-year-old facility, opened in 1950, which underwent a renovation from 2010 to 2013.

According to Carolina Castro of Brazilian News Outlet GloboNews, Rio de Janeiro‘s Maracanã Stadium, home to the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic opening and closing ceremonies, has fallen into a state of utter disrepair.

The first line of Globo’s report reads “Maracanã is handed over to the cats,” later referencing the strays that now call the site of the 2016 Olympic men’s and women’s soccer semifinals and finals home.

Castro reports that, upon GloboNews’s visit earlier this week, she found (roughly translated) “broken glass, doors that do not close, seven thousand stadium chairs missing, holes in the wall, and a dirty grandstand littered with food scraps and drink spilled” a week ago from a 60,000-spectator soccer game on December 28th.

She also reports that the field is dry and untended, while the inner rooms and offices smell moldy, ridden with holes in the walls and exposed wires. Globo’s photos reveal weeds growing rampant behind the bleachers, missing ceiling tiles, and piles of bleacher chairs thrown about. To make it all worse, the stadium has been without power since Friday, December 30th.

You can watch a video and see photos of Globo’s trip into the stadium here.

Maracanã S.A., which usually maintains the stadium, has accused the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee of turning over the stadium post-Olympics in unsatisfactory condition. While Rio 2016 said it relinquished control of the stadium on October 30th, Maracanã S.A. says it has not regained control due to the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee’s non-compliance with their Use-Release Agreement (VUA).

A section of Maracanã S.A.’s statement (roughly translated from Globo’s report) is below.

“The concessionaire has not yet resumed the Maracanã and Maracanãzinho due to the non-compliance of the Term of Authorization of Use by the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee. The VUA provides that the organizing committee shall maintain the complex under its administration until it has completed all works of repair of damages and damages caused during the use, in order that the installations return to their original state. Only after compliance with these obligations will the complex return to the Concessionaire. ”

Meanwhile, according to Globo, the government of Rio de Janeiro maintains that, despite Rio 2016‘s failure to adhere to the agreement, the responsibility to maintain for the stadium still falls on Maracanã S.A.

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Dean
7 years ago

Only states that have money should be awarded the games Brazil is to 3rd world and the place stinks

Bill Jordan
7 years ago

Is the pool still green?

Lelada
Reply to  Bill Jordan
7 years ago

It must be black now

Maura
7 years ago

Is this the same Maracana that was there in the 70’s and 80’s? It was old then, but simple and I can’t understand the politics involved now.?
Bring it back to its’ former state.

taa
7 years ago

This stadium is 70 years old. The poor upkeep has nothing to do with the Olympics

Steff
7 years ago

I think they should pick one city, and build and Build permanent Olympic village, and use that for all Olympics. The country they build it should have a stable economical and political systems in place.

G.I.N.A
Reply to  Steff
7 years ago

Not many contenders then .

Mikeh
7 years ago

I blame Ryan Lochte for this.

Lane four
Reply to  Mikeh
7 years ago

Off with his head! ????

Dogger
7 years ago

Is ANYONE surprised at this? Just like China and Russia…enjoy the eyesore stadiums for years to come Rio. You asked for this…

G.I.N.A
Reply to  Dogger
7 years ago

Beijing is scheduled for use for the 2022 winter olympics . Sochi is being converted to an open air stadium for 2017 & 2018 football world cups etc . I think you have fake concerns .I’m in a city now that is building a new stadium & everyone seems very happy about it . They do tend to be a feature of a modern city but I expect some ppl complained about the Roman ones too.

CROOKED HILLARY
Reply to  G.I.N.A
7 years ago

DOGGER got owned on that 🙂

Rick
7 years ago

This is why Olympic Committee should not be giving any country the Olympic Games unless the facility is already built before being eligibility and maintained throughout until the Games start.
Breaking these countries for an opportunity to have the games is stupid and bad for their economy.

Lyan Rochte
Reply to  Rick
7 years ago

I agree, but this stadium is 69 years old, it is not one of the new stadiums built for the World Cup or Olympics.

About Hannah Hecht

Hannah Hecht

Hannah Hecht grew up in Kansas and spent most of her childhood trying to convince coaches to let her swim backstroke in freestyle sets. She took her passion to Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa and swam at NAIA Nationals all four years. After graduating in 2015, she moved to …

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