Fans only allowed into Rio final midway through first half

Soccer - Taca Guanabara - Final - Vasco da Gama v Fluminense - Maracana Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - February 17, 2019 Players of Fluminense pose in the empty stadium due to a one-match ban for soccer fans REUTERS/Alexandre Loureiro

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Brazilian football had another day of unprecedented chaos on Sunday when fans were allowed into the Maracana Stadium midway through the first half after a judge lifted a ban imposed when rival sides could not agree in which end their fans would sit.

The gates were opened around 30 minutes into a Rio state championship final to allow thousands of Vasco da Gama supporters, and a few from rivals Fluminense, into the ground.

Police had earlier fired pepper spray and percussion grenades in and around the Vasco fans who had gathered outside the famous stadium hoping to be allowed in.

Soccer - Taca Guanabara - Final - Vasco da Gama v Fluminense - Maracana Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - February 17, 2019 Players of Fluminense walk on the field in the empty stadium due to a one-match ban for soccer fans REUTERS/Alexandre Loureiro

Fluminense had stopped selling tickets and advised their fans not to turn up after the judge’s ruling.

Vasco won the match 1-0 with a goal from Danilo Barcelos 10 minutes from time.

The victory gave them the Guanabara Cup which is awarded the winners of the first round of the Rio state championship.

Soccer - Taca Guanabara - Final - Vasco da Gama v Fluminense - Maracana Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - February 17, 2019 Players of Vasco da Gama walk on the field in the empty stadium due to a one-match ban for soccer fans REUTERS/Alexandre Loureiro

(Reporting by Andrew Downie, editing by Pritha Sarkar)