The Rio de Janeiro State Football Federation (FERJ) is opposed to Campeonato Carioca games being held at Maracanã stadium due to financial reasons and decisions made by its arbitration board, according to Ronald Lincoln Jr. of ESTADÃO. On March 17, FERJ evaluated that matches held at the Maracanã "would have an operational cost" of roughly R$10 ($3) per person, reaching up to R$311,000. An item published on Thursday by FERJ stated, "By not having a contract between the Rio de Janeiro State Football Federation and the Maracanã Complex that outlines and respects the decisions of the Arbitration Board, ... none of the semifinal or final matches of the professional state championship [Campeonato Carioca] will take place at the Maracanã stadium." However, the Consórcio Maracanã, the company that manages the stadium, made an announcement Wednesday asking FERJ "to respect contracts preceding the board's data." The announcement also "affirmed that it [the stadium] would no longer accept the imposition of FERJ's new regulations, and this way, the clubs that want to hold games at the stadium can negotiate directly with its management" (ESTADÃO, 3/20).
