Club signs contract with Maracanã for stadium with Flamengo's image
Agreement that brings more favorable conditions to Fla foresees partnership until 2020 to restore synergy between the Biggest Fanbase in the World and the Temple of Football
By Flamengo Communication - in
The Maracanã is ours! – and it will remain our home for the next two years. After majority approval by Flamengo's Deliberative Council (CODE), a new agreement was signed between the club and the Maracanã concessionaire that manages the stadium. The contract already applies for the remainder of the 2018 season and will run until December 31, 2020. The agreement provides for at least 11 more matches at the World's Largest Stadium this year, and from 2019 onward, Flamengo will play at least 25 matches per year at the stadium."We and the Maracanã concessionaire have learned a lot throughout the process. This new contract will allow Flamengo to play at the stadium that has always been considered our fans' home, under much more favorable conditions than the current ones. All this without giving up on the plan to take over Maracanã permanently, once the new regulatory framework is defined," said president Eduardo Bandeira de Mello.
At home
Understanding the identification of the Red-Black Nation with Maracanã, which has always been the stage for the most memorable moments in the history of the Most Beloved and received the largest audiences in national football on its cement steps, the concessionaire and the club are considering removing the seats from the North and South sectors, obviously, respecting all the consequent safety determinations of the regulatory public bodies.
"Today, we're much more advanced in our relationship with Maracanã, and our goal is to give our fans a stadium that reflects Flamengo's identity. Above all, we want the nation to feel at home, to play together, to win with us. Flamengo and Maracanã reached a common ground today that enabled this agreement, which doesn't mean the club isn't still pursuing its dream of owning its own stadium, which could even be the Maracanã," stated Bruno Spindel, Flamengo's CEO.
The new agreement will also give the club greater freedom to shape the stadium, which would now have not only its traditional emotional identity with fans, but also a visual one: the concessionaire and Flamengo are committed to making the red-and-blacks feel at home. The main objective of the agreement is to enable the club, alongside the nation, to achieve more victories and titles like those that have already permeated the history of the Most Beloved at Maracanã.
"We are certain that this agreement will foster an even stronger partnership between Flamengo and the stadium, whose biggest beneficiary will always be the fans. This year, we were already building this partnership, and the result is that, of the ten biggest ticket sales in the country so far, four of them were from Flamengo matches. This data proves the willingness of Flamengo fans to come to the stadium to support the team on the field and show their love for the jersey," said Mauro Darzé, president of Maracanã.
More contract details
The two-and-a-half-year partnership will also provide financial benefits for the Rubro-Negro: the ticket sales and the fan membership program will go entirely to Flamengo, which will also participate in the sale of VIP boxes, food, and beverages. Furthermore, the club will have the right to commercially exploit and market the field, the mixed zone, and the locker room. The concessionaire will only be able to commercially exploit the spaces from the VIP level upwards, in order to protect the club's broadcast rights.
Regarding VIP spaces, Flamengo has the right to use ten boxes in the West sector, the full revenue from Bossa Nova, which is the stadium's largest box, in the East sector, in addition to 40% of the revenue from 48 boxes at Maracanã.
Flamengo will be responsible for all stadium operations – ticket sales, security, access, cleaning, public guidance, firefighters, medical posts, ambulances, maintenance, electrical, plumbing, internet and elevators – and the club relies on its fans to take good care of their home and, as always, support the team until the end.
About Maracanã
Maracanã is currently one of the most-used stadiums in Brazil. Last year, it hosted the most games, totaling 43. During the year, approximately 1,5 million people visited the stadium, including fans, concertgoers, and those on the Maracanã Tour, which is already one of Rio de Janeiro's main tourist attractions. In 2018, through the end of May, Maracanã attracted more than 800 people to watch games, events, and the Tour.