Estadio Jacy Scaff

The view from the terraces cuts straight to the skyline of Londrina. Behind the far goal, a white banner for the Prefeitura de Londrina hangs against a blue perimeter wall, marking the boundary between the pitch and the city beyond. The ground sits on a slope, the grass running down towards the road where team buses park in a row beside a sign for the Café tournament.

Locals know it as the Estádio do Café, a name that sticks faster than the official title, Estádio Municipal Jacy Scaff. The stadium sits above the neighbourhood of Alpes, overlooking the avenue that leads downtown. It was built to host the national league in the mid-1970s, a rush of concrete and seating designed to accommodate a crowd that eventually filled the open rings. The capacity has tightened since then, trimmed by safety rules and the removal of standing sections, leaving the current figure around 30,000.

On the pitch, the lines are sharp under the Brazilian sun. A large banner lies inside the centre circle, advertising a sponsor for the day's fixture. Players in yellow kits gather near the halfway line while a group in black moves towards the goal area. In the foreground, a camera crane extends its arm over the touchline, capturing the action from a low angle. Two tall poles with speakers stand at the edge of the field, waiting to amplify the noise from the sparse crowd that gathers on the concrete steps.

The venue belongs to the city, a municipal asset for the local club, Londrina Esporte Clube. It is not a grand arena with glass facades; it is a working ground, the grass worn in patches by the season. The address is on Avenida Henrique Mansano, a long stretch of tarmac that runs parallel to the stadium walls. While the original plan called for a closed bowl with 100,000 seats, the horseshoe shape remains open to the elements, letting the wind sweep through the stands.

Londrina plays here when the schedule allows. The surface is maintained as natural grass, though the pitch can struggle under the weight of the calendar. The club relies on the venue for its home ties, and the city provides the infrastructure. Recent upgrades have focused on accessibility and lighting, ensuring the ground meets the requirements set by the Lei Geral do Esporte, even if the capacity for big matches has been capped at 20,000.