Rio de Janeiro-based Brasileiro rivals Flamengo and Fluminense said in a joint statement that they will unite to "find home pitch alternatives to the increasingly untenable Maracanã Stadium," according to Nelson Belen of the RIO TIMES. With the cost of playing at the Maracanã "becoming more and more unfeasible to Rio's clubs and with Odebrecht about to leave the management of the stadium," Flamengo and Fluminense are "actively moving to construct their own stadiums in Rio." Recently, it was leaked to various news outlets that Fluminense, "in particular, was maneuvering behind the scenes to build a stadium at Olympic Park in Barra." Fluminense President Pedro Abad said, "It is the goal of Fluminense's board to build our stadium, have our house." Flamengo President Eduardo Bandeira de Mello said, "It is extremely beneficial and important to the clubs that Flamengo and Fluminense work together to develop stadium solutions that meet the wishes of the fans and that take into account the public interest: the residents of the city and the taxpayers" (RIO TIMES, 7/6).
