The Partenope case, anger among parents of young people enrolled at the sports club: "Disappointed by the management."

“ They even asked us for a contribution, even though we already regularly pay the fees ,” a mother vented to L’Unità . “ In practice, are we supposed to be the ones to pay for what the management hasn't paid for all these years? ” Apparently, the public meeting held last Monday at the Polisportiva Partenope ended with nothing being done. An unnecessary flop, given the importance of the issue. No proposals , no short-term solutions , no vision for the future . After all, the 'guillotine' hanging over the sports club's head is too large. This scenario has once again disappointed the families present, the mothers and fathers of the enrolled children .

Public Assembly at the Partenope Sports Center

We're talking about over 1,000 young people who risk finding their gym closed by October. This means no more practice of the sports activities provided by the historic club. The Partenope Sports Center is at risk of closure after being evicted , a natural consequence of a lost court case . The appeal ruling is now expected in November (scheduled for November 4th ). At the heart of the issue is €700,000 to be given to the State Property Agency , owner of the Cavalli di Bronzo spaces, for unpaid rent .

The Partenope Sports Center is at risk of closure.

Last week, parents and athletes staged a sit-in protest to block the bailiff 's action, obtaining an extension of the eviction order (until October 4th ). Let's briefly recap the situation: a legal and bureaucratic mess , compounded by the likely negligence of those who managed the sports center over the years, of which the kids are the victims . This is the story. In 1964 , 12 years after the Partenope club opened near Piazza Municipio (on Via Riccardo Filangieri Candida di Gonzaga , between the Royal Palace and the Maschio Angioino ), the Ministry of Economy and Finance forced the CONI ( Italian National Olympic Committee ) to pay rent for those spaces.

The story: How the eviction of the Partenope Sports Club came about

In the meantime, the newly formed sports club had begun using the facility free of charge . CONI refused, deeming the request made by the government of the time to be too high. When the Ministry ordered the Olympic Committee to abandon the building, this happened without Partenope being involved. The company's president , Sandro Gelormini, was very clear on this: " We never received a rental request. We obtained management from CONI ." The current situation exploded in 2009 , with the state property agency demanding back rent . Is this the future ? The entire area would be put on the market .

The reasons behind the management of Polisportiva Partenope

The sports club's lawyer, Domenico Parrella, explained to l'Unità that the entire building, over which the Superintendency has no claims, is protected as a special cultural asset and that, furthermore, " there is no ruling that addresses this amount and obliges the club to pay it. The problem is another, formal one: there have been various lawsuits over time, starting in 1966, by the State Property Agency, which does not have the management of cultural assets among its prerogatives. This is the responsibility of the Ministry of Culture and therefore the Superintendencies. When the State Property Agency requested the release of these spaces, we filed a lawsuit seeking the purchase of the structure by adverse possession."

The extension and the appeal ruling

So the judge ruled against us, but based his decision on a flawed article in a 1939 law. To date, the latest ruling authorizes the state property agency to own not the Partenope headquarters but its buildings. Consequently, the state property agency cannot access the facility. Now, not only must the youth members of the sports club and their families come here and protest, but all Neapolitan citizens must do the same because we're talking about a common good . But these explanations have done little to calm the hearts of the families involved in the case. " We would have expected an admission of responsibility from the management ," said another mother . "We would have liked a truth-telling operation, greater transparency and clarity on their part. Is it possible that they suddenly 'woke up' with a debt of 700,000 euros? Now we want to see the financial statements ."

The anger and disappointment of the families of the young people enrolled at the Polisportiva Partenope

But how much does it cost to attend Partenope ? There are two fees, one for non-competitive athletes and one for competitive athletes, of €600 and €760 per year, respectively. Fees can be paid in a single payment (with a small discount ) or in three installments . There may be variations based on the sports and the number of days and times attended . Upon registration, you are entitled to a sports kit that includes a bag and uniform . Any subsequent expenses, if necessary, are the responsibility of the members . Some families are eligible for the regional bonus for sports activities , and the sports club has occasionally turned a blind eye, helping some athletes in financial difficulty .

The fees that families pay to the Partenope Sports Center

" After all, the administrators tell us that the club is a 'moral entity' ," declared one father. " But it's true that this also happens: many expenses, for example for travel or for performances, especially for the setup, are paid by us. And then, do you know how many years it's been since the facilities, gyms, locker rooms, showers, and bathrooms have been painted or renovated? Here, they always cry poverty, hiding behind the principle of the right to sport that must be guaranteed to young people. And in the end, after decades of 'just getting by,' we found ourselves in this situation ."

FROM

Andrea Aversa