The Santa Marina Atlético Clube, a lowland soccer association that has operated since 1913 in the west zone of São Paulo, suffered this Wednesday (14) a repossession action. The club’s management agreed to voluntarily vacate the headquarters, in the Água Branca neighborhood, after a meeting of about an hour with the court officials. The French multinational Saint Gobain, a manufacturer of materials for civil construction, has been competing for the area since 2018. The property, which includes an indoor soccer court and a field for the practice of the sport, however, is being evaluated as a possible part of the heritage cultural heritage of the city by the Department of Historical Heritage of the municipality. Therefore, despite the closure of activities, the company must preserve the location and objects that tell the history of the club. After the meeting, the director of the association, Francisco Ingegnere, said, moved, that he was convinced of the resumption of the club’s headquarters. “We are going to reverse this situation”, he declared, surrounded by photos and trophies that tell the story of Santa Marina. Francisco worked and lived in the workers’ village maintained by the Santa Marina glazing shop on site. The company was incorporated by Saint Gobain in 1960. Part of the former factory was listed in 2009 by the Municipal Council for the Preservation of Historical, Cultural and Environmental Heritage of the City of São Paulo (Conpresp). Lessons for young people The leader’s sister, who is also part of the club’s management, Rose Ingegnere, regretted that the court decision has prevented the continuity of sports activities. “What bothers them about staying here, continuing with activities? We never asked them for anything. [Saint Gobain]”, he questioned. Santa Marina offers free indoor and outdoor soccer classes for around 200 young people between the ages of 5 and 15, some of whom are socially vulnerable. Among them is Juan Conceição, who arrived at the club at age 6 and today, aged 15, is shaken by the closure. “My dad brought me to see a game once. I liked it, I liked the professor, and I wanted to stay here. It means a dream to me. I’ve never trained anywhere else but here. I’ve won many championships. It’s hard for me, ”he said. However, the struggle to maintain the history and activities will continue, guarantees the club’s lawyer, Caio Marcelo Dias, who since 2017 has been trying to secure ownership of the area. “We lost a battle, not the war. Of course, we will try to manage some procedural resources to try to get back to activities, “he said. According to him, the decision does not allow any changes to the property until the appreciation of the bodies responsible for the protection of historical and cultural heritage. “They can absolutely do nothing about the structure of the club, everything has to be preserved, until there is a final decision by the municipal and state bodies.”
Agência Brasil
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