When the largest in Brazil’s football investment company DIS has decided that the midfielder Caue Sikaru (Kauê Siqueira) will continue his career in football club “Penapolense”, he was considered a rising star of Brazilian football and has already played in such teams as Corinthians and Internacional. This decision was to 21-year-old at the time of the fatal player. 13 Jun 2013 on the way to training base, located in Penapolis in the outskirts of Sao Paulo, the player is not lost control and crashed his car from blow has turned over in the air and collapsed in the middle of the highway. The young player spent 26 days in the hospital. In the operation of his paralyzed left side of the body. A little recovered, he tried to return to training. But the condition was not allowed even to hit the ball. Siqueira has parted ways with football in 22 years. Football couldn’t do a thing to help him. “Penapolense”, as the vast majority of football teams in Brazil, a very modest club. So the young footballer was refused payment for treatment. And in a country where there is no universal health coverage, treatment can be very expensive. The club stopped paying wages to the athlete. Rehabilitation in private clinics paid for by the parents of the player. They also undertook the education of four year old granddaughter. Even now, Recalling his misadventures, most Siqueira regret that you will not be able to continue his football career. “If the club supported me, I would have had a chance to return to football — complains a former player. Is a complete lack of respect for human dignity”.
Siqueira has addressed with the claim about compensation of the greater part of the expenses, and the trial court granted his demand. The club appealed the decision. In total this is the third lawsuit to “Penapolense” for failure to render aid to the players. The court addressed also the brothers William and Daniel Miller (William y Daniel Miller). The defenders had to pay for treatment of injuries sustained on the field. Managing “Penapolense” Andre Garcia (André Garcia) insists that the club has fulfilled all obligations to the athletes.
What happened to “Penapolense” — a common phenomenon. In Brazil, the country of football, broke out a severe economic crisis. Most of 775 Brazilian football clubs are owned by visibly stricken and shrivelled the middle class. Financial instability spreads like cancer. In Sao Paulo over the past two years athletes have filed 500 complaints about violation of labour legislation. 40% of them are players for whom clubs have refused to help. 80% of the players get a month less than 1,000 reais ($318). Almost none of them has no right to unemployment benefits and insurance against accidents.
“Very few clubs insure their athletes,” says Tiago rino (Rino, Thiago), a lawyer specializing in the protection of the rights of athletes. If the player experience health problems, many clubs are breaking the contract. And declare that health was ruined even before it is signed. “Leave the player alone with their health — today for the leaders of the clubs it’s business as usual”.
Not the best way things are and have 28 thousand professional players, consisting of the Brazilian football Confederation. In March 2017 players of club of the second division of Sao Paulo “the Union Barbarense” had on game day to take the bus 240 kilometres to the city, where they were to meet. According to the official recommendations, the team should arrive at least the day before the game. In the end, the players of the whole trip lay on the floor of the bus, so as not to overload the knee. The team finished the season in last place in their League.
Of course, there are stories with a happy end. So, Marcos Aurelio (Marcos Aurélio), former defender of the “Union of Barbarense”, is 36 years old became the first player, received in the result of a lawsuit by a lifetime disability pension (in 2014 he was injured, which is almost obezdil leg). Defender “Gremio Osasco” Lucas Patrick (Patrick Lucas) has sued the Board compensation for the broken during the game pace, although insurance he is not entitled. The payout is not disclosed. It’s just two people. But people that dedicated themselves to football — the game that brought fame to Brazil, and the struggle for their rights and for their lives, much more.
