Carioca has the best audience since 2008; classic between Vasco and Botafogo should reach 50 thousand

The title may not have the same prestige as before, but the shirts of the big four in Rio maintain the relevance of the Campeonato Carioca for the fans. This year, even more: the current edition, after eight rounds played, has an average audience growth of 251% compared to 2022. This Wednesday, at 8:30 pm, Vasco and Botafogo will play in a Maracanã that should receive more than 40 thousand fans. It is the reunion of the fans with the competition.

The game will make the championship surpass the public of the entire State last year, reaching half a million payers. The current average is the highest since 2008. This with only two of the six classics scheduled for the first phase held so far – today’s will be the third. These numbers referring to the public should rise when the semifinals, traditionally with more appeal, begin.

One of the reasons for the current increase is the hope generated by the creation of SAFs for Cruz-Maltino and Alvinegro. The moment of greatest excitement for Botafogo fans may have been last year, but Vasco fans are still at the peak of expectation since the sale of the football to 777 Partners, concluded last September.

They are one of the most responsible for the increase in attendance in Carioca, second only to the red-blacks. Their matches have around 20,000 fans on average, including away games. Last year, that number was just over 12,000.

It also helps that the cross-Maltese have increased their onslaught towards Maracanã. The game against Botafogo was initially scheduled for São Januário, but Vasco requested the transfer of the classic to a stadium with greater capacity.

The change is part of SAF’s campaign to take over management of Maracanã. It is a message of strength that passes on to public opinion, filling the stadium twice in a row — against Fluminense, Vasco da Gama were the majority in the classic, which had around 57,000 people in attendance.

I start with reservations

Among the big four in Rio, Botafogo was the one with the smallest increase, of 43% in the public in relation to Carioca in 2022. people, since Nilton Santos and its 44 thousand seats are closed for the installation of synthetic grass in the stadium.

The alvinegro is part of the common movement among the big ones in Rio, to make the Carioca Championship secondary, transforming it into a pre-season competition. In the first matches, he chose to alternate the lineup of starters and reserves, in line with Luís Castro’s plan to give more training time to the main players. This ended up affecting interest in Botafogo’s first matches. In the opening game, against Audax, there were only 4,327 present.

Vasco also left the Campeonato Carioca in the background in the first rounds, prioritizing the friendlies against River Plate-ARG and Inter Miami-USA played in the US state of Florida. Even so, 16 thousand fans went to São Januário to see the B team debut against Madureira.

In addition to the good mobilization of fans of the big clubs, the good average attendance helps to explain the initiative of smaller clubs to transfer their home matches to stadiums with good capacity, outside Rio. They seek income and end up fueling the demand of fans who don’t watch the big teams so easily.

Madureira took its game against Flamengo to Cariacica (ES), where it beat the 15,000 fans. The match against Fluminense, at the same venue, was attended by 11 thousand — the same audience as the match between Boavista and Botafogo, held at Mané Garrincha (DF).

Also in the Federal District, Nova Iguaçu played against Vasco. The match recorded 28,000 gifts. Until the end of the Guanabara Cup, the capital will host two more matches: the classic between Botafogo and Flamengo and the match between Bangu and Fluminense. Capixaba Kleber Andrade will receive the game between Resende and Botafogo.

The teams in the classic

In tonight’s match, Vasco will have embezzlements. He will not be able to climb Léo Jardim, Ivan, Thiago Rodrigues and Jair, all of them registered by the Cruz-Maltino after the deadline to be able to play the classic, which is valid for the third round. The goalkeeper will be Halls and in the midfield the tendency is for Rodrigo, Barros and De Lucca to play.

Botafogo will also have an absence, for the same reason: defender Luis Segovia, irregular for the classic. Besides him, Patrick de Paula, suspended, is out.

The team from São Januário needs to win to maintain good chances of qualifying for the Carioca semifinal – the top four will win a place in the 2024 Copa do Brasil. The team is the leader of Carioca, with one game less than most teams. If you win, you will be very close to guaranteeing the early vacancy for the knockout phase.