(ATR) Lagardère Sports tells Around the Rings it has no comment to reports linking the company to operating the Olympic Park.
Earlier this week, Brazilian outlet O Globo reported that the French company will meet with Rio de Janeiro mayor Marcelo Crivella to discuss running the Barra Olympic Park. Some venues in the park are currently run by the Brazilian sports ministry, after no company would sign a 25 year lease for the park. The tender was operated by the previous mayor of Rio, Eduardo Paes.
Running the Olympic Park would be the second attempt by Lagardère to administer a sports facility in Rio de Janeiro. The company had tried to purchase Odebrecht’s stake in the consortium that administers the concessions at the Maracanã stadium.
Rio’s biggest football club Flamengo opposed the move, saying if Lagardère were to run the Maracanã it would no longer play matches at the stadium. The club went as far to sign an agreement with a smaller football club and built a temporary stadium on Ihla do Governador.
Eventually, the State of Rio de Janeiro scuttled the deal, reopening the tender. Lagardère had no comment about the aborted sale.
Rio municipal officials told ATRthey currently have "nothing official," about if or when a meeting will take place. City Hall is in charge of operating the Olympic Way in the Barra Park along with Carioca Arena 3. When asked about the latest Olympic legacy plans this week, City Hall only mentioned a potential operator for the Deodoro Olympic Park being secured.
Written by Aaron Bauer
25 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.
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