Brazil: Botafogo will play in the Maracanã Stadium until 2048

Botafogo (Brazilian Serie B in 2015) has signed an agreement with the Maracanã consortium that operates the 78,800-seat stadium located west of Rio de Janeiro, announced the two parties on 16/04/2015. The agreement runs for 33 years and will allow Botafogo to be based in the stadium until 2048.

The club says it will continue to play frequently in the Nilton-Santos Stadium (47,000 seats), which will feature in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. As part of its agreement with the consortium, the club will play its main matches at the Maracanã. The contract does not stiplulate a minimum number of matches. Botafogo attracted an average of 12,457 spectators per match in the 2014 season of the Brazilian Serie A. Flamengo and Fluminense are also residents in the stadium, which hosted the final of the 2014 World Cup.

The stadium is operated through a public-private partnership with the Maracanã consortium. It is made up of the Brazilian construction group Odebrecht, Arenas IMX, a joint venture between the EBX Group (business conglomerate that belongs to the Brazilian tycoon Eike Batista) and IMG…