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29 March 2024

Revamped Maracana finally returns to world stage

Soldiers take part in a security drill inside Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Wednesday, May 29, 2013. (AP)

Published
By Reuters

Rio de Janeiro's new-look Maracana stadium finally gets to stage its first proper match on Sunday after a rebuilding programme plagued by delays, burgeoning costs and concern that ordinary fans will be priced out of the shiny plastic seats.

England's first visit to Brazil for 29 years will mark the end of a long drawn-out, $500-million programme to modernise the arena which will host seven matches at the 2014 World Cup, including the final.

"The Maracana looks lovely and it's really great to be back," Bebeto, 1994 World Cup-winning forward and member of Brazil's World Cup organising committee, told reporters. "It's always good to return. I feel at home."

However, Bebeto's former strike partner Romario, now an outspoken member of Brazil's Congress, disagreed and said the stadium had ceased to be the seething cauldron where he scored some of his greatest goals.

"What they've done is atrocious," he told reporters. "The stadium was the best stage in the world and the politicians and officials managed to destroy it. It's totally different."

Initially built for the 1950 World Cup, the Maracana was supposed to be ready for its re-inauguration in December, six months ahead of the Confederations Cup in June.

After repeated delays, it was officially re-opened with a game on April 27. 

However, the match featured two portly teams headed by former internationals Bebeto and Ronaldo, the stadium and surroundings were far from finished even then and only 30,000 people were allowed in.

Sunday's friendly will be the only professional match to be staged there before the Confederations Cup, regarded as a test event for the World Cup, kicks off on June 15.

The Maracana has always been regarded as the spiritual home of Brazilian football. 

It has witnessed Brazil lose the 1950 World Cup final to Uruguay, Pele's 1,000th goal, and the swagger of players such as Garrincha, Zico and Romario. 

For half a century, crowds of more than 100,000 and reputedly sometimes nearly twice that have watched Rio's big four teams play there, as well as the national side and Pele's Santos, who often played important games there in the 1960s.

However, the stadium fell into disrepair and three people were killed when a fence at the front of the upper tier gave way at the Brazilian championship final in 1992, sending dozens of fans crashing on to the seats several metres below.
 
By the mid-1990s, it had become a decrepit, fetid arena permeated on match days by the smell of urine and stale beer, where marauding gangs instigated brawls and mugged other supporters on the terraces. 

At one point, it went five years without staging a Brazil match.

It underwent its first major overhaul in 1999 to prepare it for the following year's World Club Championship, when capacity was reduced to below six figures for the first time.

It was refurbished again for the 2007 Pan American Games, and the "Geral", a standing area close to the pitch, was removed, taking away even more of the heated atmosphere.

The most recent, and controversial, makeover began in late 2010 and has so far cost some $500 million, taking total spending over 14 years to around $1 billion. 

Capacity has been reduced to 78,838 and the two separate tiers and the distinctive coloured seats marking each section have gone. 

In their place are one tier of yellow, blue and grey seats, a new and expanded roof and huge television screens.

"The stadium is fabulous," FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke said last week after visiting it. 

"I can't imagine a FIFA Confederations Cup or a FIFA World Cup without a game at the Maracana. There would be something very wrong with that."

The Rio de Janeiro state government, which is in charge of the work, said: "The reform is transforming the stadium into a modern and comfortable arena.

"It was done to the highest levels of sophistication and engineering," it added in an emailed response to questions.

Many fans disagree and are also angry at plans to demolish the neighbouring swimming pool and athletics stadium, both upgraded for the Pan American Games. 

Protesters angry at the removal of Indians from a nearby building that is to be knocked down for use as a car park have clashed with police on several occasions. 

Fans who have spent large parts of their lives going to the stadium say they now cannot tell which end is which.

"The lovely and modern football stadium in the Maracana neighbourhood is not the Maracana," said Fernando Molica, a columnist with the Rio newspaper O Dia.     

"I had this strange feeling that I didn't recognise my own home."

Five memorable matches played at the stadium:
 
July 16 1950: Brazil 1 Uruguay 2

One of the first games at Maracana was supposed to be the most triumphant. Instead, the loss to Uruguay in the 1950 World Cup final became, for Brazilians, a national tragedy.

Having thrashed Sweden 7-1 and Spain 6-1 in their previous two matches, Brazil were overwhelming favourites to crush their opponents and lift the Jules Rimet Trophy for the first time. A reputed world-record crowd of 205,000 turned out to see the home side complete the formalities.
Instead, Uruguay came from behind to win 2-1 and pull off what remains one of football's biggest shocks. Brazil did not play another game for almost two years and never again wore the white shirts they used that day.
 
Nov. 19 1969: Santos 2 Vasco Da Gama 1 

Pele laughs at suggestions that he saved his 1,000th goal for Maracana but there is no doubt it was a fitting stage for such a feat.

The Santos-Vasco match took place on a beautiful spring night and 65,157 people were in the crowd. The game stood at 1-1 until the 77th minute when Pele was upended in the box. 

The penalty award was controversial and it was several minutes before the protests abated and the spot kick could be taken. 

When it was, Pele calmly slotted the ball home. The goal is mostly remembered for what Pele did afterwards. He ran to pick up the ball, kissed it, and was besieged by journalists.

His comments later, dedicating the goal to Brazil's disadvantaged children, were unexpected and made a huge impression. The celebrations, however, took their toll. Santos lost their next four matches, their worst run in 14 years.
 
Dec. 5 1976: Fluminense 1 Corinthians 1

Corinthians had not won a major title since 1955 and their supporters were desperate for success. When the Sao Paulo club reached the semi-finals of the Brazilian league in 1976, more than 70,000 Corinthians fans made the 440-km journey to see them take on favourites Fluminense.

The huge Corinthians presence in the 146,000 crowd became known as the "Corinthians invasion". 

The game was hard fought and silky football was made impossible by a torrential downpour that waterlogged the pitch. After 90 minutes the match stood at 1-1 but Corinthians won on penalties against a home side with Carlos Alberto Torres and Rivelino in their ranks. 

While they lost the final a few days later against Internacional, Corinthians made amends the year after by beating Ponte Preta to take their first title in two decades.
 
Nov. 8 1981: Flamengo 6 Botafogo 0


All of Rio's big four clubs can recall memorable moments at the Maracana but the stadium is perhaps associated most with Flamengo and in the 1980s one player made the venue his personal playground. 

Zico scored more goals there than any other player and a 6-0 victory over Botafogo was particularly sweet. 

Botafogo had demolished Flamengo 6-0 in 1972 and they never let their rivals forget it. On this day, Zico scored twice and, ably supported by Nunes, Mozer, Junior, Adilio and Andrade, ran a match that became famous as "The Revenge Game".

As if to confirm their greatness, a month later Flamengo would win the World Club Championship by taking apart a Liverpool side that featured Alan Hansen, Graeme Souness and Kenny Dalglish.
 
Sept. 19 1993: Brazil 2 Uruguay 0 

Brazil had never failed to qualify for the World Cup finals but in September 1993 that record was in doubt after they had lost a World Cup qualifier for the first time earlier in the campaign.

After stuttering through their games, the home side needed to avoid defeat against their old rivals Uruguay to guarantee a place in the United States and another shot at the title they had not won since 1970. 

The ghost of 1950 was alive and well and so it was time to call in the cavalry. 

Romario was grudgingly recalled to the side after refusing to play in a previous match. The pressure on him was enormous, leading his father to declare he was not the nation's saviour; except he was. 

As he did so often at the Maracana, Romario turned it on when he had to. Two late goals in front of a capacity 120,000 crowd gave Brazil the win they needed. Less than a year later they would lift the World Cup for a record fourth time.

FAMOUS FIVE BRAZIL V ENGLAND GAMES

Brazil and England have played 24 times since their first meeting at Wembley Stadium in 1956. Eleven of their games have been at Wembley and they have also played in Gothenburg, Vina Del Mar, Guadalajara, Los Angeles, Washington, Paris, Shizuoka and Doha.

These are the details of their five meetings at the Maracana, which officially reopens on Sunday when England play Brazil there for the sixth time:
 
May 13 1959 - Brazil 2 England 0 - Attendance: 200,000

The first meeting between world champions Brazil and England at the Maracana was played on a dull, overcast day but if England fancied their chances of a good result in weather more suited to them, those chances quickly diminished when Julinho, brought in to replace Garrincha just before kickoff, opened the scoring after five minutes.

The two sides had drawn 0-0, the first goalless draw in the World Cup finals, in Sweden the previous year, but England's hopes of at least a draw in Brazil ended after 28 minutes when Julinho set up Henrique who was completely unmarked and easily beat goalkeeper Eddie Hopkinson from close range.

The nearest England came to scoring was when Bobby Charlton hit the post before halftime. Pele proved he was human when he shot wide of an open goal in the 53rd minute.
 
May 30 1964 - Brazil 5 England 1 - Attendance: 110,000

The game was part of a four-team tournament to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Brazilian FA and the result belied the fact that England more than matched world champions Brazil for the opening hour, despite falling behind just before halftime when Rinaldo scored past Tony Waiters.
 
England, though, were level within minutes of the restart when Jimmy Greaves scored with a typically opportunistic strike. George Eastham then forced goalkeeper Gilmar to touch a shot on to the bar as England briefly took control of the game.

After an hour Pele thought enough was enough and, at his magical peak, was involved in three Brazil goals in 15 minutes, setting up Rinaldo to make it 2-1 before making it 3-1 himself, scoring after a mazy 40-metre dribble.

He played a part in the next goal, releasing Julinho to make it 4-1. Pele was fouled at the edge of the box in the last minute and Dias scored direct from the free kick.
 
June 12 1969 - Brazil 2 England 1 - Attendance: 125,000

This time around, it was England, and not Brazil, who took to the field as world champions and they took the lead after 14 minutes when Colin Bell shot into the roof of the net after a build-up that involved Bobby Moore, Bell, Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters and Bobby Charlton.

Brazil came forward in droves for more than an hour, looking for an equaliser, but time and again were thwarted by Moore and Gordon Banks who had a brilliant match.

With 10 minutes to go it looked like England were going to win in the Maracana for the first time, but Brazil equalised when Tostao reacted first to a loose ball just as Brian Labone and Alan Mullery were moving in to clear.

The match, which had produced dazzling football from both sides and was played in a fantastic atmosphere, swung Brazil's way with their next attack when Tostao dummied past Keith Newton on the right and sent a low diagonal pass across goal to Jairzinho who scored the winner.
 
June 8 1977 - Brazil 0 England 0 - Attendance: 77,000  


No goals but another good match with England coming close to opening the scoring in the fifth minute with a move begun by Kevin Keegan and involving Brian Greenhoff, who died last week aged 60, and Stuart Pearson who was denied when Leao saved his shot with his legs.

With Zico and Rivelino playing well in midfield, the game developed into a tactical battle but England went close again through Trevor Francis and Keegan who shot narrowly wide.

Brazil, after a famous half-time dressing-down from coach Claudio Coutinho, were a different side in the second half but goalkeeper Ray Clemence had an inspired game and saved from Paulo Cesar, Roberto and Gil.
 
June 10 1984 - Brazil 0 England 2 - Attendance: 56,126

One of England's greatest victories, their first in the Maracana, and a game that will forever be remembered for John Barnes's goal when he dribbled from the halfway line through virtually the entire Brazilian team to score the sort of goal only Brazilians seemed capable of producing.

Renaldo, Zenon and Renaldo all tested goalkeeper Peter Shilton in the early stages but England went ahead just before halftime when Barnes's goal brought even the home fans to their feet in applause.

The move began when Mark Hateley challenged for a header with the ball eventually falling to Barnes wide on the left. He collected it and ran round virtually every opponent to score.

Bryan Robson and Ray Wilkins dominated the midfield in the second half and England doubled their lead just after an hour when a move involving Wilkins, Tony Woodcock and Barnes ended with a cross to the far post. Goalkeeper Costa never got close to it and Hateley scored with a thumping header to give England an historic win.