Clube de Regatas do Flamengo obtained this Wednesday (31) all the approvals in the necessary instances to host its games over the next five and a half years at the Ilha do Governador stadium.
In November 2016, Flamengo reached an agreement with the Portuguese Athletic Association for the use of its stadium for a period of three years, extendable for an additional three years. In January 2017, after hiring renowned construction and architecture companies, construction began to modernize all sports facilities, increase fan safety, and expand capacity to approximately 20.
Construction was proceeding normally until the engineers in charge encountered a serious and long-standing problem, thought to have already been resolved, in a stormwater pipe located beneath the East Sector stands, a situation that could endanger the physical integrity and safety of fans. Under the strict supervision of the appropriate authorities, Flamengo completed the entire construction work to divert the aforementioned channel, which now runs behind the stands.
In March, inspections began by various public agencies responsible for clearing the stadium for matches. Flamengo rigorously followed all of these agencies' numerous regulations regarding safety and comfort for fans, athletes, and professionals attending the stadium. During this process, it is worth highlighting the numerous compliments the Club received, including from the Regional Engineering Council, for the professional and meticulous management of the construction work.
In recent days, Flamengo did everything in its power to meet the deadline set by the CBF for the fourth round of the Brazilian Championship. Despite all efforts, this was not possible due to bureaucratic issues inherent in the procedures adopted by the responsible public agencies. It is now up to Flamengo to respect the CBF's decision and play the match in Volta Redonda.
Finally, Flamengo would like to reiterate that it will not compromise its ethical and austere principles to achieve its goals. For Flamengo, the well-being of Rio's citizens is priceless. For all these reasons, we hope that the same rigor applied to the approval of Flamengo's stadium on the Island will be the general rule for sports facilities for other events.
Today's Ilha stadium is better than yesterday's and tomorrow's Brazil will be better than today's.