Brazil's Maracana stadium to be closed for pitch maintenance

Brazil's famous Maracana stadium will be closed after the next two scheduled matches to allow the pitch to recover following heavy rains, the venue's administration said on Tuesday (Aug 22).

The iconic venue in Rio de Janeiro is the most used in the country, with 55 matches played there during the season. Last weekend it staged two games with a gap of less than 15 hours.

"In view of this, considering that the damage caused cannot be recovered without a stoppage, after (Saturday) we will (stop) stadium activities to enable the full recovery of the pitch," the venue's administration said in a statement.

Fluminense face Olimpia on Thursday in the Libertadores quarter-finals, while Flamengo meet Internacional on Saturday in the Brasileirao after which the stadium will be closed until the "necessary verifications and evaluations are carried out".