January 25 – Just seven months after hosting four World Cup matches, Cuiaba’s Arena Pantanal stadium, is being closed for “emergency repairs”.
The $230 million 42,000 seat stadium has struggled for occupancy since the World Cup in an area of Western Brazil where the football culture and clubs fail to make a mark nationally.
The stadium construction was the subject of numerous delays prior to the World Cup in Brazil and was often referred to as one of the four “white elephants” of the infrastructure build for the tournament.
No time for the length of closure has been given and given the circumstances and track record of construction in the city, suspicion is that it could remain closed for some time. A number of other World Cup infrastructure projects in the city are still unfinished or have been abandoned.
Mato Grosso state officials said the stadium was being shut to “fix many construction problems in order to provide security to users”. Problems with water leaks were identified as one of the issues.
“The Mato Grosso Football Federation is cooperating with the government to carry out the emergency works, and agrees the stadium should only be open if it poses no risks to users,” the statement said.
Cuiaba is an agricultural-based city in western Brazil. Its two local teams on average attract 500-1,000 fans.
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