Zico laments state of abandoned Maracana

Rio de Janeiro: Brazilian football legend Zico has rued the way the iconic Maracana Stadium has been lying vacant and abandoned following a legal dispute over its management.

The stadium complex was damaged by robbers on January 10, and has been lying unguarded as clubs and authorities argued over who should manage it. Several windows were smashed and items were stolen after the stadium was broken into.

This has infuriated 63-year-old Zico, who termed Maracana as “the biggest stage of world football”.

“What are you doing with the Maracana is absurd. I visited the stadium, where I’ve had so many joys and lived some of the best moments of my life, and I came across a scenario of neglect and abandonment,” he said on Facebook.