Maracana in a state of ruin as Brazil’s authorities leave ground to rot after lining their pockets
Pictures show iconic stadium in ruins as legacy of World Cup 2014 leaves no-one able to pay for upkeep
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THE iconic Maracana Stadium sits in a state of ruin - the broken legacy of the Brazil World Cup and Rio Olympics.
The famous pitch is bare, with broken seats thrown in a heap and stray cats picking through discarded rubbish that has sat there for weeks.
Welcome to one of the world's great footballing arenas - now a shambolic victim of the gross overspend and bureaucratic blame games which delivered the 2014 World Cup and last year's Olympics.
A ground which cost almost £500million to redevelop is in such a poor state none of the professional sides in Rio de Janeiro can afford the costs of renovating it in order to play there.
Redevelopment work has stalled after three companies involved were found guilty of corruption for over-charging for their work.
More than 7,000 of the 80,000 seats are missing, there are gaping holes in ceilings and many of the catering areas have been stripped bare.
And none of the private companies who milked the cash cow in delivering the re-constructions now say they have responsibility to foot the bill for the upkeep.
Rio's state government and Maracana SA - the firm responsible for running the stadium - blame the Rio 2016 organising committee. They in turn say they delivered the stadium back in the state they were contractually required to.
Maracana SA are refusing to accept responsibility until the Olympics organising committee carries out repairs - and in the meantime the ground upkeep is left in limbo.
So while the fat cats sit with their pockets lined from the two major sporting events, the ground that was first built to host the 1950 World Cup sits idle, and in ruin.
The stadium is usually used for big matches by three of Rio's professional football clubs - Flamengo, Fluminese and Vasco.
But they were unable to play there while it was rebuilt for the World Cup and then used for the Olympic football tournaments, along with the Games' opening and closing ceremonies.
And since the rebuild, costs to stage matches have spiralled - pricing the domestic clubs out of using them.
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Rubens Lopes, President of the Rio football federation, said: “For football in Rio de Janiero and for the people of Rio, the World Cup was the worst thing that happened.
"It left the stadium closed for three years, and then it can only be reopened at a very expensive cost.”
The last time they did play there, back in October last year, Flamengo had to cough up to replace the pitch because it had not been watered and maintained.
The turf was left to rot following that match, with the stadium only used at the end of December to host the charity game for the victims of the Chapecoense plane crash.
The overgrown grass was last cut just before that match - and rubbish left by supporters who attended the game on December 28th has yet to be cleared.
VIP areas have been mothballed with furniture and equipment put into storage, robbing the clubs who want to use the stadium of valuable revenue streams.
The inside areas stink of mould and damp, with plaster falling from the walls and electrical wires left exposed to the elements.
Electricity often cuts out because of the poor condition of the power cables and all the computer equipment that had been housed there has been removed amid fears of theft.
Now it is unclear when the Maracana will be in a suitable condition to host football matches again.
Rio 2016 communications director Mário Andrada insists the stadium was returned at the end of October in the required condition, though admits there are still "repairs to be made".
But he also pointed out that their contract did not stipulate a date of when the work had to be carried out.
In the meantime, the Maracana SA, who's responsibility it will be to run the ground, insists the Olympics committee must carry out the repairs before it takes over.
They said in a statement: "The concessionaire has not yet resumed the Maracanã and Maracanãzinho due to the non-compliance of the Term of Authorization of Use by the Rio 2016 Organising Committee.
"The VUA provides that the organizing committee shall maintain the complex under its administration until it has completed all works of repair of damages and damages caused during the use, in order that the installations return to their original state.
"Only after fulfillment of these obligations will the complex return to the concessionaire."
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