By Duncan Mackay

Maracana reopened June 2013 2June 2 - The iconic Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro finally re-opened tonight with a 2-2 draw between Brazil and England at an international friendly match.


A local judge had ruled last Thursday (May 30) that the game could not go ahead as it did not meet minimum safety requirements, only for the decision to be overturned the next day after city authorities failed an appeal.

The Rio State Government later claimed that a mandatory safety report had not been sent to the relevant local authority due to a "bureaucratic failure".

The Stadium had been officially opened on April 27 when teams led by Brazilian greats Ronaldo and Bebeto played an exhibition match in front of a limited crowd of 25,000, but today's game was the first time that a full audience of paying spectators had been admitted.

The arena retains its famous circular shape and monolithic concrete shell, but it has a new roof and its two tiers have been replaced by a single tier of vibrantly coloured yellow, sky blue and white seats.

Brazil v England June 2 2013England captain Frank Lampard (left) exchanges pennants with Brazilian captain Thiago Silva before the start of the first major match since the reopening of the Maracanã

"The Stadium is magnificent and the atmosphere for the game was exceptional," said FIFA secretary general Jérôme Valcke.

"The fans made it one big party.

"Now we're going to work hard to make sure that everything goes off well at the Confederations Cup."

Built for the 1950 World Cup, in which the hosts succumbed to a traumatic 2-1 defeat by Uruguay in the deciding game, the stadium has witnessed some of the greatest feats of Brazilian superstars such as Pelé and Zico.

The cancellation saga last week was the latest controversy in the story of the stadium's refurbishment, which has been beset by delays and disputes since works costing close to $600 million (£392 million/€460 million) began two-and-a-half years ago.

The re-vamped Maracanã is due to host next year's final of the FIFA World Cup and the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Rio 2016 Olympics and Paralympics.

Brazil v England June 2 2013 2 FIFA secretary general Jérôme Valcke praised the atmosphere at the new Maracanã 

Renovations began in August 2010 and transformed the Maracanã into a modern and comfortable stadium, with all 78,838 seats numbered.

The venue now has five floors divided into four sectors: North, South, East and West.

With the overhaul, the upper and lower tiers have been unified, forming a single stand that had its inclination increased.

The Stadium now has five different types of seats: general seating, special seating, premium, box seating and VIP box seating.

The seats are around 50 centimetres wide and retractable, in compliance with the Brazilian Association of Technical Standards.

There are also seats for the obese and areas for the mobility impaired.

Maracana reopened June 2013Brazilian officials claim the Maracanã is among the most technologically advanced stadiums in the world

New accesses have been created with four extra ramps added to the two original monumental ramps that were renovated and re-activated.

Moreover, there are a total 17 new lifts and 12 escalators allowing the stadium to be evacuated in eight to 12 minutes, meeting a FIFA requirement.

The new tensile roof is made of fibreglass and Teflon and is 68-metre long.

The field of play is lit by 396 floodlights for better visibility in any given area of the pitch.

A new control and security centre has been implemented with the Building Management System consisting of three rooms from which fans with suspicious behaviour can be detected among huge crowds and the Stadium's mechanical and electric equipment can be controlled.

The venue is also to be granted environmental certification as the project followed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) guidance from Brazil's Green Building Council, in compliance with international standards.

Brazil fans at Maracana June 2 2013Brazil fans show their enthusiasm at the reopening of the Maracanã

"The Maracanã is a symbol of Brazilian football," said Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari.

"We always have a good feeling when we come here.

"It's unique.

"The players could feel that too.

"It's a fantastic pitch for playing football on and the dressing rooms are superb.

"It goes without saying that they'll be perfect when the Confederations Cup comes around.

"It was really great for us to come back to the Maracanã."

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