From riches to rags: Maracana's past glory gone

　　Above is the view of the world-famous Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on Jan 18, 2017. The picture below shows an overview during the closing ceremony of the Rio Olympic Games on August 21, 2016. The iconic Stadium has fallen into a state of abandon after playing a key role in the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games. [Photo/VCG]

Last August, Brazil's Maracana stadium gained the world's attention as the main venue for the 2016 Rio Olympics. Six months later, it is again in the spotlight, but this time, for its decayed state.

As CNN recently visited the "ghost stadium", the once bustling scenes of rowdy football fans are gone; daily tours to the landmark have also been suspended. Meanwhile, some 10 percent of its 78,000 seats have been ripped out.

Behind the scenes, robberies and vandalism have been reported nearby. The stadium’s power has also been cut off due to unpaid bills.

 　Why is this happening?

Maintenance of once-legendary Olympics venues is never an easy job for host cities and countries worldwide. Things have been even tougher for the Brazilians due to disputes over who is in charge of the stadium.

Reports point out that Maracana SA, the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee and the state of Rio have been involved in a legal battle over who is responsible for the abandoned stadium.

According to CNN, Rio 2016 has been negotiating the payment of 1.7 million reals (539 US dollars), more than half of what is owed, to Light SA.

Meanwhile, Maracana SA will pay the remainder of the debt, charging some vendors who used the stadium after the Olympics. It is also looking to hand over stadium maintenance to interested bidders.