After eight years of negotiations, Flamengo’s biggest fan groups will finally sit together in the Maracanã’s lower north ring for a decisive Libertadores clash.
Key points
- Flamengo’s main organized supporters will sit together in the lower ring of the north sector for the Estudiantes semi‑final.
- The change follows an eight‑year effort to navigate security regulations and received direct support from the club.
- A stadium‑wide mosaic will be prepared in the east, north and south sectors, echoing the visual display used in the 2025 semifinal.
On Thursday, Oct. 22, Flamengo’s organized supporters announced that they will occupy the lower ring of the north sector of the Maracanã for the second leg of the Libertadores semifinal against Estudiantes, scheduled for 21:30 (BRT). The move brings together the Raça Rubro‑Negra, Torcida Jovem and other groups in a single block that has not been seen since a 2018 open‑training session.
Leaders of the fan groups said the new arrangement took about eight years to materialise, citing security bureaucracy as the main obstacle. They added that the club itself backed the initiative, helping to clear the procedural hurdles that had kept the supporters in the upper tiers since the stadium’s 2014 renovation.
Fans unite in the lower ring of the north sector
Historically, Flamengo’s organized fans settled in the upper levels of the old Maracanã in the 1960s and 1970s, a tradition that persisted after the 2014 rebuild. The only recent exception was an open training in April 2018, when roughly 45,000 fans gathered in the lower north ring ahead of a group‑stage match against Santa Fe.
In addition to the seating change, the fan leaders revealed that a large mosaic will be displayed not only in the usual east sector but also across the north and south sections of the stadium. A similar mosaic was used in the 2025 semifinal against Racing, suggesting a coordinated visual effort for the upcoming match.
Eight‑year effort to overcome security hurdles
The announcement was shared through a collaborative video on social media, with the groups posting messages such as “Flamengo unido é muito forte! Unidos venceremos.” The legal director of Raça Rubro‑Negra also resurfaced photos from the 2018 training, captioning them “8 anos depois. Agora é pra valer.”
Reader questions
When is the Libertadores semifinal match against Estudiantes?
The second leg is set for Oct. 22 at 21:30 (BRT) at the Maracanã.
What new position are Flamengo’s organized fans taking?
They will gather in the lower ring of the north sector of the Maracanã, a location they have not regularly used since 2018.
Has this seating arrangement been used before?
The only recent precedent was an open‑training session in April 2018; otherwise, the fans have traditionally occupied the upper tiers.
Source: odia.ig.com.br
