CBF president visits the Morenão Stadium

CBF president Samir Xaud visited Pedro Pedrossian Stadium, known as Morenão, in Campo Grande on the morning of this Wednesday (2), on the eve of the inauguration of the Football Development Center of the State of Mato Grosso do Sul. Opened in 1971 and with a capacity of more than 40,000 fans, the main stage of football in Mato Grosso do Sul is receiving an investment of around R$ 1 million from the CBF to revitalize the pitch.

Xaud was accompanied by the president of the Mato Grosso do Sul Football Federation (FFMS), Estevâo Petrallás, who presented the stadium’s history and detailed the progress of the work, as well as the president of the Mato Grosso Football Federation (FMF), Diogo Pécora, and the State Secretary of Tourism, Sports and Culture (Setesc), Alessandro Menezes.

CBF president Samir Xaud visited Morenão Stadium, which is receiving CBF investment to revitalize the pitchCredits: Rodrigo Moreira/CBF

In an interview with CBF TV, the CBF president commented on the importance of the institutional agenda in Mato Grosso do Sul and praised the history and renovation work at Morenão. The stadium has also hosted Brazil national team matches: a 1-1 draw with Paraguay on February 27, 1991, in a friendly; and a goalless draw with Venezuela on October 14, 2009, in the qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup.

“Today we began our institutional visit to Mato Grosso do Sul, continuing our work toward more participatory management and closer ties with the federations. We are here at Morenão, a stadium with a history shared by the entire state population, and where the CBF has provided funds to help revitalize the stadium, including replacing the pitch, irrigation and drainage. For us, it is another joy to work to help Brazilian football as a whole and the smaller federations,” he said.

Estevão Petrallás (center) and Samir Xaud (right) during the visit to Morenão StadiumCredits: Rodrigo Moreira/CBF

Petrallás highlighted Samir Xaud’s presence in Mato Grosso do Sul and emphasized the value of the CBF’s investment in Morenão.

“A CBF president had not come to Mato Grosso do Sul for almost 20 years. This is a source of pride and represents a revival of football in Mato Grosso do Sul, which today is beginning to see a positive future. The fans can believe that Morenão will once again be a great venue, with the CBF contributing close to R$ 1 million for the revitalization of the pitch and the installation of an irrigation system that did not exist, the replacement of the substitutes’ benches, and the track being replaced with synthetic grass,” he celebrated.

Morenão Stadium is receiving CBF investment to revitalize the pitchCredits: Joilson Marconne/CBF

Preparations for the inauguration

While the delegation visited Morenão, professionals from the Development and Projects Department and the Assets Department were present at the Football Development Center of the State of Mato Grosso do Sul. Alongside the FFMS, they aligned the details of the ceremony organization with the volunteer instructors.

The Mato Grosso do Sul center will be the first unit in the Central-West and the eighth inaugurated by the CBF in just over a year. Since the project was unlocked in July last year, the centers in Rondônia, Tocantins, Amapá, Sergipe, Santa Catarina, Espírito Santo and Piauí have begun operating.

CBF held an organizational workshop with volunteer instructors on the eve of the inauguration of the Football Development Center of the State of Mato Grosso do SulCredits: Yasmin Soares/CBF

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.