By IANS,
Belo Horzionte (Brazil): After almost three years of re-construction, Belo Horizonte’s majestic Mineirao stadium, a venue for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, has finally reopened to the public.
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff inaugurated the stadium Friday. The Mineirao is the second stadium to be reopened in Brazil after Fortaleza’s Arena Castelao, reports Xinhua.
The Mineirao will be hosting matches at both the 2013 Confederations Cup and the 2014 World Cup.
The stadium has been closed since June 6, 2010, and America-MG’s smaller Estadio Independencia has been forced to host matches for first division club’s Atletico-MG and Cruzeiro.
The first match to be played at the Mineirao will be between Atletico and Cruzeiro, Feb 3 in the Minas Geriais state championship.
The pitch has been lowered by three to four meters to improve visibility and 80 VIP suites have been constructed.