Seals in Pianura: illegal sports center seized on 10 square meters

Naples – A paradise for football fans has become a prime example of illegal construction: Naples Local Police have seized an entire sports complex in Pianura, in the heart of the city's western suburbs.

The facility, which covered an area of ​​approximately 10 square meters, housed four soccer fields, changing rooms, offices, a bar, and an outdoor parking lot, but completely lacked the necessary permits.

The raid, conducted by the Fuorigrotta Operational Unit, resulted in the owner being reported to the Judicial Authorities for serious violations of urban planning regulations and the Consolidated Law on Public Safety. This operation comes at a time of intensified enforcement against illegal construction in a Naples plagued by abuses that devour land and public resources.

The operation began in the early hours of the morning, when officers, following reports and preliminary investigations, raided the structure located in a densely populated residential area.

The complex, which for years served as a hub for amateur tournaments and youth training, was declared completely illegal: no building permit, no certificate of occupancy, and zero authorizations for the associated commercial activities, such as the bar and parking lot.

With the precautionary seizure, access to the plant was prohibited, and the equipment was inventoried for further inspection.

The violations range from illegal occupation of public land to the unauthorized management of accommodation facilities, including the lack of fire safety and sanitation measures.

Investigative sources reveal that the facility, erected progressively over the past five years, had already attracted attention for disturbing noises and irregular traffic, culminating in anonymous complaints from exasperated residents.

This seizure is not an isolated case, but the latest chapter in a chronic plague plaguing Naples and its metropolitan area. This year alone, the Local Police have sealed off several illegal structures, including two residential complexes in Soccavo for lack of permits, in an operation that targeted unauthorized homes and outbuildings.

At the regional level, seizures for illegal construction have reached record highs, with high-profile cases such as that of the Immobile Academy in Torre del Greco, where a prestigious sports center was investigated for illegal construction and illegal waste disposal, involving six suspects, including family members of footballer Ciro Immobile.

According to data from the Municipality of Naples, in 2025 there were over 150 interventions against illegal building, with a focus on suburbs like Pianura, where population pressure and a lack of public spaces push toward "do-it-yourself" solutions that often result in tragedies, such as collapses or fires caused by substandard systems.

The immediate repercussions on the area are tangible: hundreds of young soccer players and families are left without a place to gather, and the neighborhood—already plagued by degradation and youth unemployment—is losing a slice of "clean social life." The city administration, through its Department of Public Works, has announced an inspection to evaluate the potential redevelopment of the area for public use, transforming it into a fully-fledged legal sports center.