Ninho do Urubu("Vulture's Nest") | |
 Interactive map of Centro de Treinamento George Helal | |
| Location | Vargem Grande, Rio de Janeiro,Brazil |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 22°59′02.9″S43°30′20.7″W / 22.984139°S 43.505750°W /-22.984139; -43.505750 |
| Owner | Flamengo |
| Type | Sports training facility |
| Surface | Grass pitches (6) Synthetic turf (1) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 21 May 2011 |
| Built | 2011–2012 |
| Expanded | 2015–2016 2018–2019 |
| Construction cost | R$30 million |
| Architect | Wagner Barroso |
| Tenants | |
| Flamengo Flamengo Youth Academy | |
TheCentro de Treinamento George Helal (George Helal Training Center), commonly known asNinho do Urubu ("The Vulture's Nest," inPortuguese) is thetraining ground and youth team headquarters of Brazilianfootball clubFlamengo. It is located in theVargem Grande neighborhood, in the Southwest Zone ofRio de Janeiro,Brazil. The construction on the complex began in 2011 and the club began use of the facilities in mid 2012. Between 2015 and 2016, major additions were implemented at the complex including more football pitches, a medical center, and Center of Excellence in Performance (CEP). The total construction cost of the campus is approximatelyR$30 million. Construction of the entire complex was completed in 2016.[1]
On the morning of February 8, 2019 a fire broke out in the living quarters of several youth academy players while they were sleeping. Ten players between the ages of 14 and 17 were killed, and three others were hospitalized with burn injuries.[2]
The property where the complex is located was acquired on August 30, 1984 by presidentGeorge Helal, but the start of construction was delayed for many years. At the time, the land was purchased for Cr$300 million (Brazilian cruzeiro). The real estate was later valued atR$350 million, an increase of 6,900 %. On May 21, 2011 under the management of club presidentPatricia Amorim, the site was authorized for construction. The total land area is 140,000 m².
On 30 November 2016 after theLaMia Airlines Flight 2933 airplane crash, Flamengo announced that would name the Ninho do Urubu press room afterVictorino Chermont. Victorino, one of the victims of the crash, was a journalist ofFox Sports Brazil who had worked for many years covering Flamengo and was a known club supporter.[3]
DuringRio 2016 the facilities were used byBrazil U23 andArgentina U23 football teams.[4] The agreement to use the space was signed between Flamengo and the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee.[5]
On the morning of February 8, 2019, a fire erupted at the Ninho do Urubu living quarters.[6][7] The fire resulted in the deaths of ten academy players between the ages of 14 and 17 training with the club. Three others were injured. The cause of the fire was a malfunctioningair-conditioning unit that caught fire in the room of one of the victims close to 5:00. The location of the fire was the temporary living quarters in a newly expanded section of the campus. The state Labor Ministry launched a task force to determine if any preventative actions could have been taken, and to ensure that the families of the victims would be accommodated.[8]
The victims of the fire were Athila de Souza Paixão (14), Arthur Vinícius de Barros da Silva Freitas (14), Bernardo Pisetta (14), Christian Esmério Candido (15), Jorge Eduardo dos Santos Ferreira Sacramento (15), Pablo Henrique da Silva Matos (14), Vitor Isaías (15), Samuel Thomas de Souza Rosa (15), Gerdson Santos (14), and Rykelmo de Souza Viana (17).
Cauan Emanuel Gomes Nunes (14 years old), Francisco Dyogo Bento Alves (15), and Jhonatha Cruz Ventura (15) were hospitalized with injuries; Jhonatha's condition was the most severe.[9]
Club presidentRodolfo Landim described it as "the worst tragedy the club has ever experienced in its 123 years."[10] Thegovernor of the state ofRio de Janeiro declared a three-day period of mourning following the tragedy.[11]