Arena Amazonia in Manaus (capacity 42,300) inaugurated

The Arena Amazonia in Manaus (population: 1.982m, the capital of the state of Amazonas) was inaugurated in the round of eight match of Copa Verde (a regional competition) between Nacional-AM and Remo-PA (2-2) on 09/03/2014. Aldo Rebelo, the Brazilian sports minister, was present at the inauguration. The 7,000 workers who had built the stadium were invited to attend the match. Three workers died during its construction.

The cost of stadium (capacity 42,300) is estimated at 757m reais (€249m). The BNDES (National Bank for Economic and Social Development) supported the construction of the Arena Amazonia with a loan of 400m reais (€132m). The State of Amazonas put up the remaining €117m.

Its maintenance cost is estimated at €2m per year. No professional clubs play in the Amazon and so none can use the stadium on a regular basis. The regional championship attracted 770 spectators on average to its matches in 2013. The State of Amazonas, which operates the stadium, has not yet announced how it will be used in the future. The state prison administration proposed transforming the stadium…