It combines modern infrastructure with traditions, commercialisation with resistance to this kind of approach. And the stadium already pays the price for these combinations as criticism thunders from media and authorities. But hey, at least they searched for a compromise, a thing many clubs didn't bother to consider.

We were just about to write that it's the bluest stadium of this year's Stadium of the Year, but had to hold that thought as we reminded ourselves of French Havre. So, maybe not the bluest, but surely a stadium resembling its club's identity as it should. Different shades of blue mixed with large white surfaces make it look lighter than we thought it might by early renderings.

Simple aesthetics without unnecessary additions is what appeals to us for sure and the combination of rectangular roof with oval office spaces underneath it adds dynamism despite actually being a simple move by Plarq Arquitetura.

We already wrote about how this stadium was finished ahead of its 'World Cup competition', so let's just add that apart from being along schedule, it also met its budget – not too common with public investments. But since this arena was funded privately, it doesn't make us wonder why it opened its doors first.

What private venues also share with each others is that they're focused on a business model. Aesthetically it's not only simple, as we wrote above, it sometimes even looks a bit cheap (roof structure would be one thing to name). Which figures if you have a massive 135 skyboxes to build as well within the budget...

These skyboxes may be key to matchday revenue increase, but they also are the very opposite of Geral – terraced stand built against FIFA guidelines, currently under criticism after last week's avalanche going wrong. We're not going to judge what was done rightly and what may have been a mistake – let those investigating decide.

What we do know, however, is that trying to fir such a stand into a modern arena and accepting the avalanche is nowhere near what most big clubs do once planning a new stadium (yes, Bayern and Arsenal, you may feel included here). Grêmio at least searched for a compromise and time will show whether it was successful.