The Brazilian professional association football club Operário Ferroviário Esporte Clube and Espaço Smart (the largest dry construction and Light Steel Frame ecosystem in Latin America) are expanding their partnership which began at the start of the 2026 season.
The club’s state-of-the-art venue plans main objective is to provide the fans a complete experience.
Naming Rights
‘operarioferroviario.com’ stated that the company will now hold the naming rights to the Operário Ferroviário Esporte Clube’s new stadium to be built in Ponta Grossa in Paraná, Brazil. The agreement, announced at a presser, has an initial duration of three years.
With the signing of the naming rights the Espaço Smart becomes directly associated with this new phase of Operário thus consolidating a partnership that has grown throughout 2026 and now extends into the coming years.
The Operário Ferroviário Esporte Clube, more commonly referred to as Operário Ferroviário, Operário de Ponta Grossa or simply Operário-PR, is a Brazilian professional association football club in Ponta Grossa, Paraná (Brazil) which currently plays in Série B, the second tier of Brazilian football.
The 10,632-seat Estádio Germano Krüger is a multipurpose stadium in Ponta Grossa, Paraná, Brazil. It serves as the home stadium of the Operário Ferroviário and it is currently used mostly for football matches.
Modernization Project
The Operário Ferroviário Esporte Clube is undertaking a major modernization and expansion project to transform its current home, the Estádio Germano Krüger (now named the Arena Espaço Smart through a naming rights partnership), rather than building an entirely new stadium on a different site.
Temporary Main Sponsor
‘operarioferroviario.com’ further stated that the relationship between Operário Ferroviário Esporte Clube and Espaço Smart began earlier this year when the brand started appearing on the jersey numbers of the professional team. In April, the partnership progressed to a new phase with the company assuming the position of temporary main sponsor of the club.
New Dimension
Now, with the signing of the naming rights, the partnership takes on a new dimension and becomes part of one of Operário Ferroviário Esporte Clube’s main future projects: The construction of its new home.
New Stadium
From the moment the agreement is formalized the new stadium will have its name associated with the Espaço Smart brand which will be present in the project from its inception. The company will also remain the main sponsor of Operário until the end of the 2027 Paraná State Championship (the top-flight professional football league tournament in the State of Paraná, Brazil).
The new stadium of Operário Ferroviário is part of the club’s infrastructure modernization project and represents one of the main initiatives for the future of the ‘Fantasma’ (Ghost).
Capacity Expansion
The project will be developed in stages with the expansion of the stadium’s capacity and the creation of new commercial spaces.
Complete Experience
The new structure is part of the club’s long-term plan to modernize its home, expand revenue generation possibilities and offer an even more complete experience to the fans.
Partnership Evolution
For Fernando Scheffer, Founding Partner of Espaço Smart and Commercial Director of Operário Ferroviário Esporte Clube, the evolution of the partnership represents the consolidation of a relationship built throughout the season.
New Chapter
Highlighted Scheffer, “When we started this partnership at the beginning of the year we probably didn’t imagine it would reach this level so quickly. We started with shirt numbering, moved on to main sponsorship and now we’re taking an even bigger step associating Espaço Smart with Operário’s new stadium. It’s a source of great pride for us to be part of this project and contribute to building a new chapter in the club’s history.”
Brand Exposure
The executive also emphasized on the importance of associating the company’s brand with a project that represents the future of the club and the city – “Espaço Smart was born in Ponta Grossa and has a very strong relationship with the city. The Operário Ferroviário also means a lot to the people of Ponta Grossa. Therefore, being involved in the construction of this new home has a special meaning. We are not just talking about brand exposure but about being part of something that will remain as a legacy for the club and for the city.”
Partnership Expansion
According to the President of Operário Ferroviário, Álvaro Góes, the expansion of the partnership demonstrates the company’s confidence in the club’s project – “This partnership started in one way and has grown throughout the year. It’s an important demonstration of confidence in Operário, in Ponta Grossa and in the project we are building for the club’s future.”
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