Estádio Governador Alberto Tavares Silva

The Estádio Governador Alberto Tavares Silva stands in the Redenção neighbourhood of Teresina. That is the thing about this ground: it is one unfinished structure, where the concrete has been patched over the decades.

The pitch is natural grass. It is a quiet stadium when the game is not on. The air moves through the empty tiers, and the only sound is the wind. This is a place that has seen the worst disaster in Brazilian football history, when eight people died during the opening ceremony in 1973 because of a low-flying aircraft. That event has never left the place. It is not a temple of football, but a community asset that hosts concerts and festivals as much as it hosts the local derby between River Atlético Clube and Esporte Clube Flamengo.

The capacity sits at 44,200, down from the original plan of 60,000, a number that has never been reached in the stands. The electricity and water systems were never fully completed and have been patched over the years. The stadium is currently waiting to enter a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) concession process. It is owned by the Government of the State of Piauí, managed by the Secretariat of Sports (Secepi) and the Secretariat of Administration (Sead). The address is Av.

There is no official website for the ground, and no grand history to tell. It is a concrete bowl, open to the elements, where the local teams play and the people come to watch. The atmosphere is not one of noise and colour, but of a long, quiet wait for the next match.