Soccer-Lights on again at Maracana stadium after dark days

RIO DE JANEIRO, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Power was restored to the Maracana stadium on Thursday almost a month after it was cut off because the stadium's administrators had not paid the bill, the city's electricity company Light said.

Power was restored after the stadium's managers paid the 1.3 million reais ($424,670) owed for the months of November, December and January, the company added.

The stadium, which hosted the 2014 World Cup final and the closing ceremonies of last year's Olympics and Paralympics, has fallen into a state of disrepair as authorities battled over who should run the ground.

The pitch, now worn and rutted, will need to be re-laid and hundreds of seats that were ripped from the ground by vandals must be replaced.

Light says it is still due 1.8 million reais from the Rio2016 organising committee, who managed the stadium during the Games.

Light said it "continues to negotiate with the Rio 2016 committee for the payment of electricity bills during the period in which the stadium was used for the games".

Rio2016 officials have said they will pay up.

The stadium is one of the most famous in the world, where all-time greats such as Zico, Garrincha and Romario scored many of their greatest goals.

It hosted the final of the 2014 World Cup when Germany beat Argentina and was also host to the final match of the 1950 tournament when Uruguay beat Brazil 2-1 to lift the trophy.

It has not held a game since Dec. 28 when Zico played his annual charity match there.

Police said parts of the ground were looted in January with thieves making off with televisions, copper wire and even a bust of Mario Filho, the Rio journalist after whom the stadium was named.

($1 = 3.0612 reais) (Reporting by Pedro Fonseca, writing by Andrew Downie; Editing by Peter Rutherford; )