'Problems' as Maracana stadium reopens in Rio

Rio's world-famous Maracana stadium has reopened after nearly three years of renovations to prepare it for the World Cup finals in 2014.

Workers who helped with the renovation and their families were treated to an exhibition match between teams of stars past and present.

But leading newspapers reported problems with the new facility.

The reopening follows controversy over delays, costs and the future privatisation of the site.

The renovation was completed four months behind schedule.

Days before the test event, seats were still being installed and pavements laid near the venue.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and Rio de Janeiro's Mayor Eduardo Paes were among the 30,000-strong crowd watching the friendly between teams captained by Ronaldo and Bebeto.

But the Jornal do Brasil said Saturday's visitors "needed patience to deal with the many problems" at the venue, arising from the rush to complete it.

It highlighted uneven flooring with small gaps and holes, flooding in the VIP area and a dysfunctional lift, and said some staff had tried to prevent journalists taking pictures of the affected areas.

Workers were still finishing building a stadium wall, and ticket offices, turnstiles and gates were not working, said another paper, the Folha de Sao Paulo.