Court orders demolition of Palmeiras’ youth training centre, club to appeal | OneFootball

The court has ordered the demolition of the Academia de Futebol 2, the youth training center of Palmeiras, located in Guarulhos (SP). The club will appeal the decision, which was made in first instance by Judge Rafael Carvalho de Sá Roriz, of the 1st Public Treasury Court of Guarulhos, in a lawsuit filed by the São Paulo State Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPSP) in 2012.

The club built the facilities after receiving the concession of part of the Tietê Ecological Park area following an agreement with the São Paulo State Department of Water and Electric Energy (DAEE) in 1998, for 50 years.

Inaugurated in 2002, Academia de Futebol 2 is located on the edge of the Ayrton Senna Highway. With five fields in total, the training center hosts daily practices for teams from under-10 to under-17.

What happened?

In the lawsuit, as published by Uol, the Public Prosecutor’s Office told the court that the club did not implement the required countermeasures, among them: building a 24-hour surveillance post to monitor the entry of materials, vehicles, and people into the park area.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office claims, in the lawsuit, that there were various forms of environmental degradation due to the lack of surveillance. The club stated in its defense that, at the time the usage permit was granted, the site was an “illegal dump for garbage and debris” and that it now uses the area properly, making it a reference center for training athletes and citizens.

Palmeiras also told the court that it pays for the security of the region and that the area has become subject to constant surveillance, maintenance, cleaning, and environmental care. The club mentioned a new agreement with DAEE, formalized in 2018, and said that the activities carried out by the club do not cause environmental degradation.

Palmeiras’ Position

“Palmeiras has always valued respect for institutions and will continue working to provide the best training conditions and facilities for its youth teams. The club will appeal the decision made in the first instance,” it stated.

In April of last year, Palmeiras inaugurated a new Health and Performance Center for the youth teams and a synthetic grass field at Academia de Futebol 2.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.