Botafogo-PB x Flamengo home, Castelão received a sudden increase and a delayed emergency report

Flamengo makes its debut in the Copa do Brasil this Thursday (1st), against Botafogo-PB , at the Castelão Stadium , in São Luís (MA). The venue for the match, however, has become the target of controversy. Traditionally with a capacity for 20 thousand people, the stadium had its attendance increased to 39,622 fans — almost double — after a new report issued by the Maranhão Fire Department.

CONTROVERSIAL EXPANSION AND EMERGENCY WORK

The increase in capacity was possible thanks to emergency work that began on April 25 and was completed the day before the match. Interestingly, the new report that confirmed the stadium's release was issued on April 24 , one day after Botafogo-PB began selling tickets .

According to journalist Lúcio de Castro , the previous report, dated December 10, 2024, limited the audience to 20,000 people . After the emergency work and a provisional opinion, the stadium was authorized to receive almost 40,000 fans — precisely taking advantage of the strength of Flamengo 's fans to boost ticket sales.

The interventions included reinforcement with high-resistance mortar and installation of metal beams to support compromised pillars. The new report is valid for only three months.

STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS IN CASTELÃO

A technical report commissioned by the State Secretariat for Infrastructure , worth R$9,000 , pointed out serious problems in Castelão, such as advanced corrosion , partial collapse of beams, leaks and erosion in the foundations. Sector 1, previously closed, was released after palliative interventions.

POSITIONING OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT

The corrective and preventive actions carried out in structural systems were evaluated by specialized professionals..."

In a statement, the Fire Department stated that the expansion of capacity was carried out based on technical criteria and that structural safety was guaranteed by specialized professionals:

"The review of the public capacity of the Castelão Stadium was carried out with full technical and legal basis, following current regulations, reaching the maximum design capacity of 39,622 people without compromising the safety of the infrastructure. The corrective and preventive actions carried out on structural systems were evaluated by specialized professionals. Ticket sales must be carried out within the parameters defined in the technical report and under the responsibility of the event organizers," says the note.

CBF EXPRESSES CONCERN

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) expressed “ surprise ” at the sudden change and sent a document to the general commander of the Fire Department, Colonel Célio Roberto Pinto de Araújo . In the text, the entity warns of risks to the safety of athletes, fans and professionals involved in the event:

"The CBF, through the Directors who subscribe below, expresses its deep concern about the existence of suddenly modified information, issued by state public bodies. Since such a scenario compromises not only the logistical and operational planning of the event, but also the safety of athletes, fans, professionals involved and the population in general", wrote the entity, addressed to the fire department.

GOVERNMENT OF MARANHÃO GUARANTEES SECURITY

Botafogo-PB's SAF, responsible for selling tickets, is cited as directly responsible for the operation. The Maranhão state government guaranteed, in an official statement, that fans will have security to watch the game and that all prerequisites for increasing capacity have been met. See the statement:

"The Government of Maranhão, through the State Secretariat for Sports and Leisure (Sedel), informs that all legal and regulatory requirements related to the security and use of the Governador João Castelo Stadium for the match between Botafogo da Paraíba and Flamengo, scheduled for May 1st of this year, were duly met. The reports regarding the maximum capacity of the stadium were updated after interventions carried out throughout the years 2024 and 2025, increasing the capacity from 20,000 to 39,622 people. This update is in accordance with the number of tickets made available for the event. We emphasize that all measures and adaptations were implemented in accordance with the parameters established by the competent bodies, with the aim of guaranteeing the safety and well-being of all users."