Torre del Greco – A champion's football ambitions have been put to rest: the Carabinieri of the Torre del Greco Company's Operations Section and the Municipal Police are proceeding with the precautionary seizure of the entire Immobile Academy – Parlati Sports Center, located at Traversa Antica Trecase 146.
The decree, issued by the preliminary investigations judge of the Torre Annunziata Court at the request of the Public Prosecutor's Office, affects a sports complex inaugurated just seven months ago by striker Ciro Immobile, now at Bologna, and involves six suspects—including the player's family—for serious crimes: illegal construction in an area subject to environmental and landscape restrictions, as well as the illegal management of hazardous special waste.
The operation, which began this morning, concludes an investigation that began in April with a routine inspection to assess the condition of the area. Investigators determined that, on land already marked by previous uncondoned illegal construction, the suspects had carried out radical interventions: new construction without permits, resulting in a "massive transformation" of the wooded foothills, classified by the General Planning Scheme as Zone A2 (piedmont strip).
On some land registry parcels, the change of use—from high forest to parking area—was achieved through excavation, soil fill, and the spreading of milled asphalt, a bituminous conglomerate recovered from road milling, classified as non-hazardous special waste disposed of illegally.
"A double attack on the landscape and the environment: not only illegal concrete, but also soil pollution with waste materials," explains a statement from the Public Prosecutor's Office, signed by Prosecutor Nunzio Fragliasso, which aims to block the "free availability" of the works to prevent further damage.
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The Academy, which also has offices in Boscotrecase, aimed to "kick back the degradation" in an area encompassing Torre Annunziata, Boscoreale, and Trecase, promoting inclusion and community. But now, the seizure casts a shadow: the children who coached there—over 200 members—risk losing a point of reference, in an area where youth sports are a lifeline against dropout.
This is not an isolated case in the expanded "Land of Fires": Torre del Greco, at the foot of Vesuvius, is a crossroads of chronic illegal building, with demolition orders affecting complexes such as the New Garden (September 2025) or the La Salle Tennis Club, left to decay despite calls for redevelopment.
Campania, Italy's leading region for eco-mafias, recorded 6.104 environmental crimes in 2024, a 23% increase over 2023, accounting for 15% of the national total (over 40 crimes in Italy). Naples leads with 23.079 crimes in the last 15 years, followed by Salerno and Avellino, with illegal waste management accounting for 33,6% of cases. "These abuses aren't just illegal concrete: they're poisoning soil and groundwater, fueling a health emergency that's costing lives," warned Michele Buonomo, president of Legambiente Campania, when contacted by our reporter. "The seizure is a step, but we need rigorous controls and immediate cleanups, not proclamations."
The investigation continues: the six suspects, including Immobile's close relatives, are at large but are being investigated to clarify their roles and complicity. The area is now under seal, with assessments underway to quantify the environmental damage.
The local football community is in shock: "A hard blow for the kids, but legality cannot wait," commented a Sorrento coach, while on Facebook the Academy announced its cancellation of free training camps. Meanwhile, the Municipality of Torre del Greco—which dreams of a "Sports Citadel" in Santa Maria la Bruna—promised collaboration to mitigate the impact. In a region where sport should unite, this seizure is a reminder that the playing field does not tolerate unfair practices: how many more clean academies will be established, free from shadows of illegal activity?
Comments (1)
It's sad to see such a wonderful initiative as Immobile's Academy end this way. I hope the investigations clarify the situation and that young athletes can return to sports without problems. Legality is fundamental.