Ninho do Urubu
The training ground and youth headquarters of Flamengo, site of a tragic fire in 2019.
The Centro de Treinamento George Helal (George Helal Training Center), commonly known as Ninho do Urubu, is the training ground and youth team headquarters of Brazilian football club Flamengo. It is located in the Vargem Grande neighborhood, in the Southwest Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Quick Facts
- Location
- Vargem Grande, Rio de Janeiro
- Primary function
- Training Center & Academy Headquarters
- Predecessor facility
- Centro de Treinamento da Gávea
- Status
- Active (Current Home of Flamengo)
- Key feature
- Multiple professional-grade football pitches
Lore & Background
The property was acquired on August 30, 1984 by president George Helal for Cr$300 million, but construction was delayed for many years. On May 21, 2011 under club president Patricia Amorim, the site was authorized for construction. Construction began in 2011 and the club began use of the facilities in mid 2012. Between 2015 and 2016, major additions were implemented including more football pitches, a medical center, and a Center of Excellence in Performance (CEP). The total construction cost is approximately R$30 million, and construction was completed in 2016. The total land area is 140,000 m². On the morning of February 8, 2019, a fire in the living quarters killed ten youth academy players aged 14 to 17 and hospitalized three others.
Reader's Guide
The complex includes training pitches, a medical center, a Center of Excellence in Performance (CEP), and a press room named after Victorino Chermont, a journalist and Flamengo supporter who died in the LaMia Airlines Flight 2933 crash. During the 2016 Summer Olympics, the facilities were used by the Brazil U23 and Argentina U23 football teams under an agreement between Flamengo and the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee.
Did You Know?
- The press room at Ninho do Urubu is named after Victorino Chermont, a Fox Sports Brazil journalist and Flamengo supporter who died in the LaMia Airlines Flight 2933 crash.
- The fire on February 8, 2019 was caused by a malfunctioning air-conditioning unit that caught fire around 5:00 AM in a temporary living quarters in a newly expanded section of the campus.
- Three players were hospitalized with injuries: Cauan Emanuel Gomes Nunes (14), Francisco Dyogo Bento Alves (15), and Jhonatha Cruz Ventura (15), whose condition was the most severe.
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