RIO DE JANEIRO: Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana Stadium, venue for next year’s World Cup final and the spiritual home of Brazilian football, has re-opened with an exhibition match despite not being fully finished.
Only two entrances were complete, some seats still missing and the area around the stadium resembled a building site as the arena was re-inaugurated late on Saturday with a match between teams led by former Brazil strikers Ronaldo and Bebeto.
The Maracana is the fourth of the 12 World Cup stadiums to be opened, having missed the December deadline set by FIFA by four months. It will also stage matches at the Confederations Cup to be held in Brazil in June.
“Brazil is going to give a big lesson to the world and to those which didn’t think it would be possible to hold this World Cup and Confederations Cup,” Ronaldo told reporters on the touchline during a halftime interval.
“Another stadium has been delivered,” added the 1994 and 2002 World Cup winner, who is on the local organising committee.
“It was a last-minute thing but that’s how it goes. We are happy with the result. The pitch is sensational. The stands are beautiful, so are the internal facilities, everything is really good,” the Brazilian added. REUTERS
