From Dreams to Tragedy: The Fire that Shook Brazilian Football (2024) s01e03 Episode Script
Despertar
1
[suspenseful music plays]
[man 1] The land was intended to be
developed as the club's training center.
[Léo Burlá] It was a huge piece of land,
but there was nothing there.
CLUB BUYS LAND FOR VULTURE'S NES
[Mauro Cezar Pereira]
When Flamengo bought it,
in theory,
it was an opportunity for expansion.
FLAMENGO BUILDS VULTURE'S NES
But after the purchase,
it remained undeveloped for years.
S.O.S. FLAMENGO!
Flamengo's finances became precarious.
They had the largest debt in Brazil.
FLABANDONED!
VULTURE'S NEST BECOMES COW PASTURE
DECAY IN RED AND BLACK
[man 2] It was an example of the chaos
in Brazilian soccer at the time.
CRISIS - CENTER WITHOUT POWER
CLUB MORTGAGES CENTER
[man 3] The situation was
a financial mess.
Flamengo was a laughingstock.
[in Portuguese] There is no more money.
[camera flash whirs]
[Burlá, in English] That's when Vanderlei
Luxemburgo was brought in as coach,
and that's when
the temporary structures began.
PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE CENTER
The press room and the locker room
were both housed in a container.
There were no balls.
I had to pay for the players' bus fare.
It was horrible. They had to change
their clothes under the water tank.
[Burlá] Then, it all really took off
when Eduardo Bandeira de Mello
was hired as manager.
FLAMENGO CLEANS UP FINANCES
HAS R$ 130 MILLION SURPLUS
An era of unprecedented spending began.
[woman 1, in Portuguese] Today,
Flamengo opens a new and modern module,
costing R$ 23 million.
[Filipe Chrysman in English] The container
was next to the professional dormitory.
I was dazzled by the beauty
being built there.
YOUTH LEAGUE DORMS (CONTAINER)
[Cezar] The youth players were
originally going to live in the structure
that had previously been used
by the professional players.
FORMER FIRST TEAM HOUSING
[Cíntia Guedes] It was the last weekend
the boys would sleep in the container.
BUILDING WAS TO BE SHUT DOWN
Throughout the organization, Flamengo
knew the facility was a dangerous place.
[Cezar] It is still shocking
to think about
how the training center was inaugurated
with so much pomp,
and within that much-celebrated facility,
there was an old shipping container
with kids living inside it,
a container that soon would
become a serious threat to their lives.
It's outrageous.
[panicked shouting]
FROM DREAMS TO TRAGEDY:
THE FIRE THAT SHOOK BRAZILIAN FOOTBALL
[somber music plays]
[birdsong]
[woman 2, in Portuguese] The tragedy at
the Vulture's Nest happened one year ago.
[man 4] Family members of the victims
returned to the Nest
to pay their respects,
but only Pablo Henrique's parents
were allowed into the training center.
The others were barred because
they hadn't requested entry in advance.
Across town,
Flamengo officials attended
a Mass in honor of the victims.
[in English] We didn't come here
to fight with Flamengo.
We didn't come here
to protest against Flamengo.
We just want to honor our children.
One year ago today.
[woman 3, in Portuguese]
Today was the first meeting
of the investigation into the fires
by Rio's congressional commission.
They heard from the family members
of some athletes who died in the fire,
as well as leaders of Flamengo's
present and past administrations.
Attending the meeting
was former Flamengo president
Eduardo Bandeira de Mello,
accused of negligent homicide
in the complaint
filed by Rio's public prosecutor's office.
The presence of Flamengo's president
was highly anticipated
at the assembly's inquiry,
but Rodolfo Landim
did not attend yesterday's session.
[in English] When Landim doesn't bother
to show up to the meeting,
it's the same thing all over again.
"Damn, Flamengo has
really abandoned the families."
MANAGEMENT SHIES FROM INQUIRY
BOARD SHIES FROM INVESTIGATION
[in Portuguese] Such a big team.
Why can't the president come?
They always send
the vice president and the lawyers.
Why can't he come?
I want to ask him to his face,
"How can you sleep at night?"
[Pedro Ivo, in English] Rodolfo Landim
took over the club's management
in January, 2019.
But when it comes to the death
of a child, the families don't care
if it was President A
or President B who was in charge,
if it was Bandeira's fault,
or Landim's, or neither.
They just want an answer to their pain.
But officials just passed the buck.
[in Portuguese] Were you aware that
the Vulture's Nest had issues, or not?
If you were, why was nothing done?
How was this managed?
The president
didn't know about such things.
-[man 5] Did you oversee the containers?
-No.
I didn't have that information.
If I was from another administration,
I would have that answer.
I wasn't aware of the interdiction.
I wouldn't know, Your Honor.
Personally I don't feel responsible.
I don't know much about electrical things.
But I didn't know anything
about the issue with the boys.
It's perfectly believable,
using the words from the report,
that the president didn't know.
Nobody knew.
Everyone who testifies saying,
"I don't know.
I didn't know. I didn't see"
Those responsible must show their faces.
"I signed off on that. I bought that."
"I approved payment."
Would they let
their children live in a container?
Would they let
their grandkids live in a container?
[tense music plays]
[Décio Alonso, in English]
A popular proverb says,
"Nothing is more permanent
than a temporary workaround."
PROSECUTOR
Right? It seems the club's idea was
to use that structure temporarily,
until a permanent solution could be built.
But that temporary solution continued
and continued, until the fire broke out.
[Ivo] Using containers was
part of the culture at Vulture's Nest.
"Put a container here.
Put another one there."
"This one can be a physiotherapy room.
That one can be a weight room."
"It could even be a dormitory!"
[Burlá] The boys' container
had previously been used as a gym.
ROOMS 1 - 6
And it was reassigned
for use as a residential dormitory.
So, on top of all the other issues,
the boys were sleeping in a space
that was temporary and improvised.
[Ivo] The problem goes back even further.
PARKING LO
Instead of containers, the area was
originally supposed to be a parking lot.
[woman 4, in Portuguese]
The site of the fire is very close
to the new accommodation
for Flamengo's professional athletes,
at a distance of ten meters.
However, the dormitory
destroyed by the fire
was not present in the latest plans
submitted to the city by the club.
In the plans, the area where
the structure was built is a parking lot.
[Ivo, in English]
For me, the parking lot plan
is central to understanding the risks
that contributed to the tragedy.
CITY DIDN'T PERMIT CONSTRUCTION
This is a crucial piece of the puzzle.
In the original plans, the container was
never envisioned as part of the project.
[man 6] It's almost as if the containers
were designed to be a firetrap, you know?
There is only one access point,
only one way out.
The windows could provide an exit route,
but they had bars on them.
[Guedes, in Portuguese]
My question is, who ordered the bars?
Did Flamengo expressly request
bars to be installed?
Were they delivered with bars on them,
or did Flamengo install them?
As it was a long time ago,
I don't remember
how the windows were ordered.
I believe all the orders for windows
we've fulfilled for all the containers
have been the same
since the Vulture's Nest was inaugurated.
[Guedes, in English] The internal doors
were sliding doors.
They were made of a material
that expands when it is heated.
So, of course, the doors were jammed.
[Victor Satiro] Sliding doors
usually run on metal tracks.
FORENSIC EXPER
That type of door is completely wrong
for a structure like that.
The windows were obstructed.
There was only one access point.
There were no emergency exits
and no signs indicating what to do
in case of an emergency.
There were no smoke detectors,
no warning devices.
And the walls the walls were made
of a double steel panel.
METAL PLATES - POLYURETHANE SPRAY
They were filled with
some kind of polyurethane foam material.
That material releases
large amounts of monoxide.
So that gas is also being released
into the dormitory.
Steel is very efficient at conducting
thermal energy.
That means the walls
essentially created a giant oven.
[Guedes] Every tragedy stems
from a series of mistakes.
They wouldn't have died in a facility
that didn't make those mistakes.
WHERE THERE'S FIRE
FIREFIGHTERS NEVER INSPECTED CONTAINER
In the complaint, I call the container
"a clandestine structure" for good reason.
Not because no one saw it.
Everyone knew it was there.
It was clandestine because
the authorities were not informed.
When the Prosecutor's Office learned
that the container was being used
as a dormitory,
they inspected it and warned the manager,
at the time President Bandeira,
saying, "This is not allowed."
CITY SUED FLAMENGO
OVER VULTURE'S NEST HOUSING
[Guedes] There were
a number of violations.
A court decision ruled that
the irregularities could not remain.
IMMEDIATE INTERDICTION OF ACTIVITIES
The club completely ignored the ruling
and did not comply.
The kids stayed in the container.
[Bandeira, in Portuguese] Yes, I found out
about all this after the fire happened.
I wasn't president by then.
Of course, I learned about
what was happening regarding the permits,
facilities, and stuff.
I tried to learn everything,
but all I know is what I tried to learn
after I left the presidency
of the club and after the tragedy.
BANDEIRA DE MELLO SAYS
INTERDICTION NEVER REACHED THE PRESIDENCY
[Alonso, in English] And specifically
regarding Bandeira de Mello,
the president at the time
the decisions were made
INSTITUTIONAL CARE
OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS
he was personally, directly,
and completely aware of the issues.
Officials from the Prosecutor's Office,
City Hall,
and the Fire Department went there.
PUBLIC PROSECUTOR OF RIO DE JANEIRO
At least three official documents
have his signature.
Three of the four documents I'm talking
about have his personal signature.
So, either he knew,
or we have to assume that
he signed things without reading them.
FIGURE 02. AERIAL VIEW OF THE DORMITORY
[Ivo] This is where the tragedy occurred,
in a metal, improvised structure.
And this is the five-star accommodation
for the professional players.
So this shows you
what was truly important to them,
where their focus really was,
which was on the professional team.
That was the priority.
And what could be figured out later?
The boys in the youth league.
[poignant music plays]
[Marinho Saldanha] The boys were
just workhorses. Cogs in a machine.
They were supporting a system
that was firmly rooted in production,
governed by the principles
of profit and loss.
[Guedes] The boys are part
of a larger investment strategy,
and sometimes, in market terms,
the less you spend, the more you make.
It's all about the profit margin.
[man 7] The managers look
at these kids like they're a commodity.
The thought is, "This is simply
a product that I'm investing in."
LAWYER
[Fernanda Alves] I begged Our Lady
of Aparecida to soothe my heart,
to look after him for me,
to watch over him and keep him safe.
I prayed that if something were to happen
while he was asleep
WENDEL ALVES' MOM
she would wake him up and
[poignant music continues]
I believe she did wake him up.
I feel it in my heart that it was her,
because in that moment,
late at night, in a deep sleep,
the athletes wouldn't wake up easily.
Not only did he wake up,
but he went back inside
and rescued two of his friends.
Holy shit Mom!
Hey.
-Damn! Hi, Mom. Everything okay?
-Hello, son.
-[Wendel] You okay?
-Yes, and you?
-I'm all right. Damn!
-[Fernanda laughs]
[in Portuguese] When we got out,
we looked back, and it exploded.
That's when the security guard
told us to get the fire extinguishers.
We went to the back and banged
on the windows. I even broke one.
Then we started shouting,
"Fire. Wake up!" It was crazy.
I guess they could have fainted.
[Wendel, in English] The day
of the tragedy, it was a long day,
so I got to go home the next day.
Everyone was waiting for me at the gate.
My whole family. My parents,
my brother, friends, and my uncles.
I went to Internacional in November.
They welcomed me from day one.
Everyone knew me already.
They made me feel right at home.
They treat me well,
and they're very kind to me.
JD. MIRIAM PORTUGUESE SPORTS ASSOCIATION
[Fernanda] From soccer school up to today,
it's been a great achievement for him.
Because to see him recover
from that terrible experience
and then move on to a great club
and become a professional player
I don't have the words to explain.
I'm just so delighted.
[man 8, in Portuguese] Here he goes!
Inter three to one!
Wendel goes for the goal!
[crowd cheering and whistling]
-[in English] Your Virgin.
-Oh, this!
When I travel for a match, I always put
her in my locker, sitting on the shelf.
I take her with me everywhere.
[Filipe] I came to Guarani
on loan from Flamengo.
As soon as my contract
with Flamengo ended, Guarani signed me.
I've been here for a year.
I'm now in the club's professional squad,
and I'm very happy here at Guarani.
[man 9, in Portuguese] Filipão!
Goal!
[in English] After the tragedy,
I developed terrible insomnia.
I would sometimes be awake
for 24 hours a day.
I tried taking sleeping pills,
but I still couldn't sleep,
because at night I was so afraid.
When we got back to the Nest,
I hallucinated all the time.
STRIKER
I would walk through that place
and relive everything
that happened that night.
That was a very,
very difficult time for me.
[tense music playing]
I still have nightmares
about what happened.
It makes it difficult to sleep.
If I'm in a room with air conditioning,
I see the unit catching fire.
Flames everywhere.
I can feel the heat in the room.
And sometimes, I hear screams in my head
like the ones I heard that night.
-It feels so real.
-[echoing screaming]
I get flashes of light in my eyes,
and sometimes, I see crazy things.
Then, all I can do to calm down is
talk to myself and pray to God.
-[panicked shouting]
-[banging on window]
[loud thump]
[Wendel] When we take a break
to get something to eat,
we heat up our food on these hot plates.
Every time I walk past the food cooking,
I can smell
That smell, it takes me back to
to that day in the dormitory.
Sometimes, all those memories
they rush back.
I'm flooded with them.
SECURITY
And that makes me incredibly sad.
I get a
I get a bad feeling.
And then I don't want to talk to anyone.
I don't go out.
All I want to do
is just lie down in my room,
and I ask my wife to shut the door.
I was out on leave for a while.
First, I met with a counselor,
and then I saw a psychiatrist.
It was the psychiatrist
who said that I should be put on leave.
[dog barking]
When I went back to work,
they assigned me to the basement
and told me to stay there.
Then, they called me in one day,
and a person from Human Resources
gave me a piece of paper
and said, "Your services are
no longer necessary to Flamengo."
[Wendel] It was January of 2020.
I was traveling with my mother,
and the phone rang.
I answered it. They said
STRIKER
"Good afternoon.
I know you're with your mother."
"This is hard to say, but you won't
be playing for Flamengo anymore."
I hung up, and I just
I still don't know the reason why.
[poignant music plays]
[Darlei Pisetta]
Now we're headed over to the field,
the place where Bernardo used to train.
ARTHUR LIVES!!!
[man 10, in Portuguese]
Good one! Let's go again. Whoa!
[Darlei, in English] I can almost see him
going for the ball.
It all comes back, you know?
[Marília Barros] This is the court
where he really started playing.
[boys shouting]
[Marília] I would sit over there
and bring him water.
This place has so much history.
[Andréia] Everywhere I look,
I see my son, you know?
I see him here, I see him over there,
and I see him in front of the goal.
[Cristiano] It hurts to come here,
where it all started.
But I have nothing but good memories.
Just good memories.
[suspenseful music plays]
[woman 5, in Portuguese]
The Vulture's Nest tragedy,
which killed ten boys
from Flamengo's youth league,
was two years ago today.
[woman 6] Not all the families
that lost their children in the fire
have managed to settle with Flamengo.
[in English] Compensation is typically
calculated based on the victim's earnings.
You take how much the victim made,
multiply it by their life expectancy,
and add an amount for damages
if the victim died.
That's the simplest way to do it.
The issue is emotional harm.
Pain inflicted on the soul.
That is the crucial element.
There are several factors to consider.
First of all, the economic status
of the person who caused the damage,
plus how serious the damage was.
And finally, the so-called
pedagogical-punitive criterion,
meaning, to set an example for society
and say, "Don't do that.
It will cost you."
[Guedes] At first, Flamengo's fans
sympathized with the families
and were on their side.
But after a little time went by,
the club's public communications implied
that if they spent a lot of money
compensating the families,
they would no longer be able to afford
to continue investing in the players.
FLAMENGO "BREAKS THE BANK"
[woman 7, in Portuguese] Gabigol,
Arrascaeta, Bruno Henrique,
and many other stars.
Flamengo spent millions
to create a dream team in 2019.
FLAMENGO HAS ALREADY SPEN
R$ 190.8 MILLION ON REINFORCEMENTS
[Ivo, in English] 2019 was historic
long before the late-season victories.
FLAMENGO SPENT MORE THAN
R$ 250 MILLION IN PAST FOUR YEARS
That year signaled the financial power
of the new Flamengo.
FLA MOVES R$ 468 MILLION
BETWEEN PLAYER PURCHASES AND SALES IN 2019
They opened up their pockets, spending
freely to sign players to huge contracts.
FLAMENGO MAY END 2019 AS THE FIRS
BRAZILIAN TEAM TO RAISE R$ 1 BILLION
[Cezar] It was a contradiction.
They had money to sign players,
but in hardball negotiations,
they said they couldn't afford
to pay the families.
[Marília] I remember
a comment from one woman.
"They're trying
to make money off their children."
"Were those kids even real players?"
I even had someone at work ask me,
"Are you that dead kid's mother?" "Yes."
ARTHUR'S MOM
"Did you get a lot of money
from Flamengo?"
I still go through that.
[Tancredo] Flamengo naturally took
advantage of the families' vulnerability.
The families are fragile,
they are no longer united,
and so they end up making very bad deals.
For a family
to have to keep negotiating this,
it's like experiencing
the death of their child
over and over and over again.
At some point, the families say,
"Okay. Fine. Fine. That's enough."
Many were worn down by sheer exhaustion.
[poignant music playing]
[Darlei] It's one of the most beautiful
tributes that we've received.
It's from Fluminense.
As you know, I am a Fluminense fan,
and Lêda is a Flamengo fan.
BERNARDO PISETTA'S DAD
They wrote a very beautiful message to us.
I would like Lêda
to read it for us, please.
[Lêda] "Mr. Darlei and Mrs. Lêda,
the great Nelson Rodrigues once wrote
that the competition between our two teams
started 40 minutes
before the beginning of time."
"For Bernardo,
we can say that it started in the womb,
then with his own choice of team,
and with the healthy rivalry
he watched his parents enjoy."
BERNARDO PISETTA'S MOM
"Millions of Brazilian boys dream
of playing for their favorite club."
"Bernardo actually achieved that,
thanks to your encouragement and efforts,
with the purchase of each pair of shoes
and each pair of gloves."
"Your loss cannot be measured."
"But we hope that our club shield
with Bernardo's name on it
will have a special meaning
for the Pisetta family."
"We hope it symbolizes everything
you once dreamed of, Mr. Darlei."
"Our colors salute you.
Fluminense Soccer Club."
Beautiful.
We were very
We were very touched,
because they are a rival team. Right?
And
this is what we expected from Flamengo.
Not just us.
All ten families.
[poignant music resumes]
[dog barking]
#ARTHURLIVES
[Marília] I already lost
the most important thing.
How long should I drag this out?
Whatever amount I ask for,
ten years from now,
a judge will decide
it should be a different amount.
Am I supposed to suffer
for years and years
because our justice system is so slow?
GOD WORKS AT THE RIGHT TIME
Everyone resolves this
in whatever way they see fit.
CHRISTIAN ESMÉRIO'S MOM
But for me, settling with Flamengo
won't turn the page. I can't just move on.
-How are you doing?
-[Andréia] Hello. We're okay.
How are you?
At the last meeting we had
with their lawyers,
they made it very clear
that it was their final offer,
and they wouldn't negotiate any further.
I talked about it with Cristiano.
What I have seen them do since 2019 is
deflect the blame, look for a scapegoat,
and try to hold other parties responsible
for all the actions they are liable for.
They are the ones who hired the company
to put in shipping containers.
And that company did not indicate
that they were suitable accommodation
for children when they installed them.
They never said they could be used
as a dormitory for kids. Never.
Should the containers have been there?
No. End of story.
LAWYER
That is illegal. And if you do
something illegal, you are liable for it.
CHRISTIAN ESMÉRIO'S DAD
This is a lawsuit we believe
will be successful,
and this lawsuit centers
around the question of values.
There's not much else to debate.
Regarding his career, will they consider
how far Christian could have gone?
Will they consider the drafts?
My son was not just "promising."
He was not just another kid.
They said on TV that
none of the others would go pro.
We have a document from the CBF
saying how many times he was drafted.
[suspenseful music plays]
[woman 8, in Portuguese]
Four years after the fire
that killed ten young Flamengo players
at the Vulture's Nest,
no one has been convicted.
[man 11] Is it just money?
You pay the families and you're done?
Of course not. If children die
inside Flamengo, who is responsible?
[man 12] It was a tale of death foretold.
It was all completely predictable.
There's no doubt in my mind that what
happened that day was not an accident.
[man 13] It was indeed a terrible tragedy.
And, technically speaking, it is a crime.
[man 14] Flamengo is responsible
for the deaths of ten children.
[man 15] The families of the victims
get no answers.
Their children have died inside
a building owned by Flamengo,
in an illegal structure
that shouldn't even have been in use.
Justice has to provide an answer.
[Marília sobs] So special.
[man 15] Who is responsible?
[Marília] You're the love of my life.
[Andréia] This is not about making money.
This is not about compensation.
This is about justice.
"Hello, son. How is everything?"
"Are you taking good care
of your grandparents up there?"
"I'm sure your grandpa
never leaves your side."
"How's Grandma?
Is she being tough on you?"
[gentle music plays]
[Andréia] "My son, I think
I'm going crazy from all the pain."
"Sometimes I cry so much,
I think I will lose control."
"It's been so hard to hide my tears."
"Most of the time, I want to scream
and rip the pain right out of me."
"I don't know how to cope
without you here with me."
"I don't know how to be happy
without talking with you."
"I want you here, so we can do things,
like go to the movies together."
"I want you here,
asking me to buy you candy."
"I want you here,
sleeping with your legs on top of me."
"I want you here."
"I will meet up with you soon.
Love, Mom. Your queen."
I can't accept
that a defendant can sit before a judge
and be allowed to decide
how they will be punished.
That isn't right.
I think that the moment I accept whatever
it is they are willing to give me,
then I give them
the power to decide their own punishment.
[Izabel Raphael]
Those responsible for Flamengo,
they have chosen to hide
and to minimize everything that happened.
But the fans won't let them.
[emotional music plays]
We wrote a song
for the boys lost at the Nest,
and we sing it
in the tenth minute of every match.
FLAMENGO FAN
[Fábio] It's impossible to get
to the tenth minute of the match
and not get emotional,
remembering what happened.
[in Portuguese]
I wish you were all here ♪
Honoring Flamengo's flag
With pride and passion ♪
[Filipe, in English] I have
the infinity symbol tattooed on my finger.
I look at this image
and I remember them, honor them.
They are part of me forever.
I will always carry them with me
in my heart.
[Wendel] I'm not giving up. I'm gonna
leave all that behind me in the past.
But I won't forget
the friends that I lost.
I will play for them. I'll do it for them.
[Marília] What would he look like now?
I imagine he'd have a beard, a goatee.
He really liked that. [chuckles]
He would smell great.
He would turn heads, that's for sure.
BEST GOALIE - UNDER 13 (05/04)
[Darlei] The other day, I was clearing out
some stuff, and I found these cleats.
BERNARDO PISETTA ROAD
I guess it's
a present from him.
CHAMPION - LIBERTADORES
Often, I I come into his room
so I can smell his clothes.
I can still smell him.
The stench of his cleats
I remember he would climb into the car
and take them off.
They smelled terrible, because
because he would sweat!
That's a good smell now.
I miss that smell.
[Cristiano] Could I ever forget
my son's beautiful story?
I can't.
Is Flamengo bigger than my son?
No, it's not bigger than my son.
[crowd, in Portuguese]
This nation will never forget ♪
Flamengo is forever
Going to play for you ♪
[drumming and singing]
Ten stars are shining
In my Flamengo's sky ♪
Ten stars are shining
In my Flamengo's sky ♪
I wish you were all here
Honoring Flamengo's flag ♪
With pride and passion ♪
This nation will never forget ♪
Flamengo is forever
Going to play for you ♪
Sixteen athletes survived the fire
that took place on February 8, 2019.
In October 2023,
only three were still with Flamengo.
In November 2023, Filipe Chrysman
was let go from Guarani Football Club.
By the end of editing this series,
the criminal case was still ongoing.
Eight people face ten manslaughter
and three bodily harm charges.
By the end of editing,
Andréia Candido and Cristiano Esmério's
case was still open.
The other nine families reached
confidential agreements with Flamengo.
By the end of editing, Benedito Ferreira,
the security guard who saved three boys,
was still seeking compensation.
Efforts were made to hear
from other families, survivors,
representatives,
and others involved in this tragedy.
Some never responded,
and many refused to participate.
[somber music plays]
[music fades]
[suspenseful music plays]
[man 1] The land was intended to be
developed as the club's training center.
[Léo Burlá] It was a huge piece of land,
but there was nothing there.
CLUB BUYS LAND FOR VULTURE'S NES
[Mauro Cezar Pereira]
When Flamengo bought it,
in theory,
it was an opportunity for expansion.
FLAMENGO BUILDS VULTURE'S NES
But after the purchase,
it remained undeveloped for years.
S.O.S. FLAMENGO!
Flamengo's finances became precarious.
They had the largest debt in Brazil.
FLABANDONED!
VULTURE'S NEST BECOMES COW PASTURE
DECAY IN RED AND BLACK
[man 2] It was an example of the chaos
in Brazilian soccer at the time.
CRISIS - CENTER WITHOUT POWER
CLUB MORTGAGES CENTER
[man 3] The situation was
a financial mess.
Flamengo was a laughingstock.
[in Portuguese] There is no more money.
[camera flash whirs]
[Burlá, in English] That's when Vanderlei
Luxemburgo was brought in as coach,
and that's when
the temporary structures began.
PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE CENTER
The press room and the locker room
were both housed in a container.
There were no balls.
I had to pay for the players' bus fare.
It was horrible. They had to change
their clothes under the water tank.
[Burlá] Then, it all really took off
when Eduardo Bandeira de Mello
was hired as manager.
FLAMENGO CLEANS UP FINANCES
HAS R$ 130 MILLION SURPLUS
An era of unprecedented spending began.
[woman 1, in Portuguese] Today,
Flamengo opens a new and modern module,
costing R$ 23 million.
[Filipe Chrysman in English] The container
was next to the professional dormitory.
I was dazzled by the beauty
being built there.
YOUTH LEAGUE DORMS (CONTAINER)
[Cezar] The youth players were
originally going to live in the structure
that had previously been used
by the professional players.
FORMER FIRST TEAM HOUSING
[Cíntia Guedes] It was the last weekend
the boys would sleep in the container.
BUILDING WAS TO BE SHUT DOWN
Throughout the organization, Flamengo
knew the facility was a dangerous place.
[Cezar] It is still shocking
to think about
how the training center was inaugurated
with so much pomp,
and within that much-celebrated facility,
there was an old shipping container
with kids living inside it,
a container that soon would
become a serious threat to their lives.
It's outrageous.
[panicked shouting]
FROM DREAMS TO TRAGEDY:
THE FIRE THAT SHOOK BRAZILIAN FOOTBALL
[somber music plays]
[birdsong]
[woman 2, in Portuguese] The tragedy at
the Vulture's Nest happened one year ago.
[man 4] Family members of the victims
returned to the Nest
to pay their respects,
but only Pablo Henrique's parents
were allowed into the training center.
The others were barred because
they hadn't requested entry in advance.
Across town,
Flamengo officials attended
a Mass in honor of the victims.
[in English] We didn't come here
to fight with Flamengo.
We didn't come here
to protest against Flamengo.
We just want to honor our children.
One year ago today.
[woman 3, in Portuguese]
Today was the first meeting
of the investigation into the fires
by Rio's congressional commission.
They heard from the family members
of some athletes who died in the fire,
as well as leaders of Flamengo's
present and past administrations.
Attending the meeting
was former Flamengo president
Eduardo Bandeira de Mello,
accused of negligent homicide
in the complaint
filed by Rio's public prosecutor's office.
The presence of Flamengo's president
was highly anticipated
at the assembly's inquiry,
but Rodolfo Landim
did not attend yesterday's session.
[in English] When Landim doesn't bother
to show up to the meeting,
it's the same thing all over again.
"Damn, Flamengo has
really abandoned the families."
MANAGEMENT SHIES FROM INQUIRY
BOARD SHIES FROM INVESTIGATION
[in Portuguese] Such a big team.
Why can't the president come?
They always send
the vice president and the lawyers.
Why can't he come?
I want to ask him to his face,
"How can you sleep at night?"
[Pedro Ivo, in English] Rodolfo Landim
took over the club's management
in January, 2019.
But when it comes to the death
of a child, the families don't care
if it was President A
or President B who was in charge,
if it was Bandeira's fault,
or Landim's, or neither.
They just want an answer to their pain.
But officials just passed the buck.
[in Portuguese] Were you aware that
the Vulture's Nest had issues, or not?
If you were, why was nothing done?
How was this managed?
The president
didn't know about such things.
-[man 5] Did you oversee the containers?
-No.
I didn't have that information.
If I was from another administration,
I would have that answer.
I wasn't aware of the interdiction.
I wouldn't know, Your Honor.
Personally I don't feel responsible.
I don't know much about electrical things.
But I didn't know anything
about the issue with the boys.
It's perfectly believable,
using the words from the report,
that the president didn't know.
Nobody knew.
Everyone who testifies saying,
"I don't know.
I didn't know. I didn't see"
Those responsible must show their faces.
"I signed off on that. I bought that."
"I approved payment."
Would they let
their children live in a container?
Would they let
their grandkids live in a container?
[tense music plays]
[Décio Alonso, in English]
A popular proverb says,
"Nothing is more permanent
than a temporary workaround."
PROSECUTOR
Right? It seems the club's idea was
to use that structure temporarily,
until a permanent solution could be built.
But that temporary solution continued
and continued, until the fire broke out.
[Ivo] Using containers was
part of the culture at Vulture's Nest.
"Put a container here.
Put another one there."
"This one can be a physiotherapy room.
That one can be a weight room."
"It could even be a dormitory!"
[Burlá] The boys' container
had previously been used as a gym.
ROOMS 1 - 6
And it was reassigned
for use as a residential dormitory.
So, on top of all the other issues,
the boys were sleeping in a space
that was temporary and improvised.
[Ivo] The problem goes back even further.
PARKING LO
Instead of containers, the area was
originally supposed to be a parking lot.
[woman 4, in Portuguese]
The site of the fire is very close
to the new accommodation
for Flamengo's professional athletes,
at a distance of ten meters.
However, the dormitory
destroyed by the fire
was not present in the latest plans
submitted to the city by the club.
In the plans, the area where
the structure was built is a parking lot.
[Ivo, in English]
For me, the parking lot plan
is central to understanding the risks
that contributed to the tragedy.
CITY DIDN'T PERMIT CONSTRUCTION
This is a crucial piece of the puzzle.
In the original plans, the container was
never envisioned as part of the project.
[man 6] It's almost as if the containers
were designed to be a firetrap, you know?
There is only one access point,
only one way out.
The windows could provide an exit route,
but they had bars on them.
[Guedes, in Portuguese]
My question is, who ordered the bars?
Did Flamengo expressly request
bars to be installed?
Were they delivered with bars on them,
or did Flamengo install them?
As it was a long time ago,
I don't remember
how the windows were ordered.
I believe all the orders for windows
we've fulfilled for all the containers
have been the same
since the Vulture's Nest was inaugurated.
[Guedes, in English] The internal doors
were sliding doors.
They were made of a material
that expands when it is heated.
So, of course, the doors were jammed.
[Victor Satiro] Sliding doors
usually run on metal tracks.
FORENSIC EXPER
That type of door is completely wrong
for a structure like that.
The windows were obstructed.
There was only one access point.
There were no emergency exits
and no signs indicating what to do
in case of an emergency.
There were no smoke detectors,
no warning devices.
And the walls the walls were made
of a double steel panel.
METAL PLATES - POLYURETHANE SPRAY
They were filled with
some kind of polyurethane foam material.
That material releases
large amounts of monoxide.
So that gas is also being released
into the dormitory.
Steel is very efficient at conducting
thermal energy.
That means the walls
essentially created a giant oven.
[Guedes] Every tragedy stems
from a series of mistakes.
They wouldn't have died in a facility
that didn't make those mistakes.
WHERE THERE'S FIRE
FIREFIGHTERS NEVER INSPECTED CONTAINER
In the complaint, I call the container
"a clandestine structure" for good reason.
Not because no one saw it.
Everyone knew it was there.
It was clandestine because
the authorities were not informed.
When the Prosecutor's Office learned
that the container was being used
as a dormitory,
they inspected it and warned the manager,
at the time President Bandeira,
saying, "This is not allowed."
CITY SUED FLAMENGO
OVER VULTURE'S NEST HOUSING
[Guedes] There were
a number of violations.
A court decision ruled that
the irregularities could not remain.
IMMEDIATE INTERDICTION OF ACTIVITIES
The club completely ignored the ruling
and did not comply.
The kids stayed in the container.
[Bandeira, in Portuguese] Yes, I found out
about all this after the fire happened.
I wasn't president by then.
Of course, I learned about
what was happening regarding the permits,
facilities, and stuff.
I tried to learn everything,
but all I know is what I tried to learn
after I left the presidency
of the club and after the tragedy.
BANDEIRA DE MELLO SAYS
INTERDICTION NEVER REACHED THE PRESIDENCY
[Alonso, in English] And specifically
regarding Bandeira de Mello,
the president at the time
the decisions were made
INSTITUTIONAL CARE
OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS
he was personally, directly,
and completely aware of the issues.
Officials from the Prosecutor's Office,
City Hall,
and the Fire Department went there.
PUBLIC PROSECUTOR OF RIO DE JANEIRO
At least three official documents
have his signature.
Three of the four documents I'm talking
about have his personal signature.
So, either he knew,
or we have to assume that
he signed things without reading them.
FIGURE 02. AERIAL VIEW OF THE DORMITORY
[Ivo] This is where the tragedy occurred,
in a metal, improvised structure.
And this is the five-star accommodation
for the professional players.
So this shows you
what was truly important to them,
where their focus really was,
which was on the professional team.
That was the priority.
And what could be figured out later?
The boys in the youth league.
[poignant music plays]
[Marinho Saldanha] The boys were
just workhorses. Cogs in a machine.
They were supporting a system
that was firmly rooted in production,
governed by the principles
of profit and loss.
[Guedes] The boys are part
of a larger investment strategy,
and sometimes, in market terms,
the less you spend, the more you make.
It's all about the profit margin.
[man 7] The managers look
at these kids like they're a commodity.
The thought is, "This is simply
a product that I'm investing in."
LAWYER
[Fernanda Alves] I begged Our Lady
of Aparecida to soothe my heart,
to look after him for me,
to watch over him and keep him safe.
I prayed that if something were to happen
while he was asleep
WENDEL ALVES' MOM
she would wake him up and
[poignant music continues]
I believe she did wake him up.
I feel it in my heart that it was her,
because in that moment,
late at night, in a deep sleep,
the athletes wouldn't wake up easily.
Not only did he wake up,
but he went back inside
and rescued two of his friends.
Holy shit Mom!
Hey.
-Damn! Hi, Mom. Everything okay?
-Hello, son.
-[Wendel] You okay?
-Yes, and you?
-I'm all right. Damn!
-[Fernanda laughs]
[in Portuguese] When we got out,
we looked back, and it exploded.
That's when the security guard
told us to get the fire extinguishers.
We went to the back and banged
on the windows. I even broke one.
Then we started shouting,
"Fire. Wake up!" It was crazy.
I guess they could have fainted.
[Wendel, in English] The day
of the tragedy, it was a long day,
so I got to go home the next day.
Everyone was waiting for me at the gate.
My whole family. My parents,
my brother, friends, and my uncles.
I went to Internacional in November.
They welcomed me from day one.
Everyone knew me already.
They made me feel right at home.
They treat me well,
and they're very kind to me.
JD. MIRIAM PORTUGUESE SPORTS ASSOCIATION
[Fernanda] From soccer school up to today,
it's been a great achievement for him.
Because to see him recover
from that terrible experience
and then move on to a great club
and become a professional player
I don't have the words to explain.
I'm just so delighted.
[man 8, in Portuguese] Here he goes!
Inter three to one!
Wendel goes for the goal!
[crowd cheering and whistling]
-[in English] Your Virgin.
-Oh, this!
When I travel for a match, I always put
her in my locker, sitting on the shelf.
I take her with me everywhere.
[Filipe] I came to Guarani
on loan from Flamengo.
As soon as my contract
with Flamengo ended, Guarani signed me.
I've been here for a year.
I'm now in the club's professional squad,
and I'm very happy here at Guarani.
[man 9, in Portuguese] Filipão!
Goal!
[in English] After the tragedy,
I developed terrible insomnia.
I would sometimes be awake
for 24 hours a day.
I tried taking sleeping pills,
but I still couldn't sleep,
because at night I was so afraid.
When we got back to the Nest,
I hallucinated all the time.
STRIKER
I would walk through that place
and relive everything
that happened that night.
That was a very,
very difficult time for me.
[tense music playing]
I still have nightmares
about what happened.
It makes it difficult to sleep.
If I'm in a room with air conditioning,
I see the unit catching fire.
Flames everywhere.
I can feel the heat in the room.
And sometimes, I hear screams in my head
like the ones I heard that night.
-It feels so real.
-[echoing screaming]
I get flashes of light in my eyes,
and sometimes, I see crazy things.
Then, all I can do to calm down is
talk to myself and pray to God.
-[panicked shouting]
-[banging on window]
[loud thump]
[Wendel] When we take a break
to get something to eat,
we heat up our food on these hot plates.
Every time I walk past the food cooking,
I can smell
That smell, it takes me back to
to that day in the dormitory.
Sometimes, all those memories
they rush back.
I'm flooded with them.
SECURITY
And that makes me incredibly sad.
I get a
I get a bad feeling.
And then I don't want to talk to anyone.
I don't go out.
All I want to do
is just lie down in my room,
and I ask my wife to shut the door.
I was out on leave for a while.
First, I met with a counselor,
and then I saw a psychiatrist.
It was the psychiatrist
who said that I should be put on leave.
[dog barking]
When I went back to work,
they assigned me to the basement
and told me to stay there.
Then, they called me in one day,
and a person from Human Resources
gave me a piece of paper
and said, "Your services are
no longer necessary to Flamengo."
[Wendel] It was January of 2020.
I was traveling with my mother,
and the phone rang.
I answered it. They said
STRIKER
"Good afternoon.
I know you're with your mother."
"This is hard to say, but you won't
be playing for Flamengo anymore."
I hung up, and I just
I still don't know the reason why.
[poignant music plays]
[Darlei Pisetta]
Now we're headed over to the field,
the place where Bernardo used to train.
ARTHUR LIVES!!!
[man 10, in Portuguese]
Good one! Let's go again. Whoa!
[Darlei, in English] I can almost see him
going for the ball.
It all comes back, you know?
[Marília Barros] This is the court
where he really started playing.
[boys shouting]
[Marília] I would sit over there
and bring him water.
This place has so much history.
[Andréia] Everywhere I look,
I see my son, you know?
I see him here, I see him over there,
and I see him in front of the goal.
[Cristiano] It hurts to come here,
where it all started.
But I have nothing but good memories.
Just good memories.
[suspenseful music plays]
[woman 5, in Portuguese]
The Vulture's Nest tragedy,
which killed ten boys
from Flamengo's youth league,
was two years ago today.
[woman 6] Not all the families
that lost their children in the fire
have managed to settle with Flamengo.
[in English] Compensation is typically
calculated based on the victim's earnings.
You take how much the victim made,
multiply it by their life expectancy,
and add an amount for damages
if the victim died.
That's the simplest way to do it.
The issue is emotional harm.
Pain inflicted on the soul.
That is the crucial element.
There are several factors to consider.
First of all, the economic status
of the person who caused the damage,
plus how serious the damage was.
And finally, the so-called
pedagogical-punitive criterion,
meaning, to set an example for society
and say, "Don't do that.
It will cost you."
[Guedes] At first, Flamengo's fans
sympathized with the families
and were on their side.
But after a little time went by,
the club's public communications implied
that if they spent a lot of money
compensating the families,
they would no longer be able to afford
to continue investing in the players.
FLAMENGO "BREAKS THE BANK"
[woman 7, in Portuguese] Gabigol,
Arrascaeta, Bruno Henrique,
and many other stars.
Flamengo spent millions
to create a dream team in 2019.
FLAMENGO HAS ALREADY SPEN
R$ 190.8 MILLION ON REINFORCEMENTS
[Ivo, in English] 2019 was historic
long before the late-season victories.
FLAMENGO SPENT MORE THAN
R$ 250 MILLION IN PAST FOUR YEARS
That year signaled the financial power
of the new Flamengo.
FLA MOVES R$ 468 MILLION
BETWEEN PLAYER PURCHASES AND SALES IN 2019
They opened up their pockets, spending
freely to sign players to huge contracts.
FLAMENGO MAY END 2019 AS THE FIRS
BRAZILIAN TEAM TO RAISE R$ 1 BILLION
[Cezar] It was a contradiction.
They had money to sign players,
but in hardball negotiations,
they said they couldn't afford
to pay the families.
[Marília] I remember
a comment from one woman.
"They're trying
to make money off their children."
"Were those kids even real players?"
I even had someone at work ask me,
"Are you that dead kid's mother?" "Yes."
ARTHUR'S MOM
"Did you get a lot of money
from Flamengo?"
I still go through that.
[Tancredo] Flamengo naturally took
advantage of the families' vulnerability.
The families are fragile,
they are no longer united,
and so they end up making very bad deals.
For a family
to have to keep negotiating this,
it's like experiencing
the death of their child
over and over and over again.
At some point, the families say,
"Okay. Fine. Fine. That's enough."
Many were worn down by sheer exhaustion.
[poignant music playing]
[Darlei] It's one of the most beautiful
tributes that we've received.
It's from Fluminense.
As you know, I am a Fluminense fan,
and Lêda is a Flamengo fan.
BERNARDO PISETTA'S DAD
They wrote a very beautiful message to us.
I would like Lêda
to read it for us, please.
[Lêda] "Mr. Darlei and Mrs. Lêda,
the great Nelson Rodrigues once wrote
that the competition between our two teams
started 40 minutes
before the beginning of time."
"For Bernardo,
we can say that it started in the womb,
then with his own choice of team,
and with the healthy rivalry
he watched his parents enjoy."
BERNARDO PISETTA'S MOM
"Millions of Brazilian boys dream
of playing for their favorite club."
"Bernardo actually achieved that,
thanks to your encouragement and efforts,
with the purchase of each pair of shoes
and each pair of gloves."
"Your loss cannot be measured."
"But we hope that our club shield
with Bernardo's name on it
will have a special meaning
for the Pisetta family."
"We hope it symbolizes everything
you once dreamed of, Mr. Darlei."
"Our colors salute you.
Fluminense Soccer Club."
Beautiful.
We were very
We were very touched,
because they are a rival team. Right?
And
this is what we expected from Flamengo.
Not just us.
All ten families.
[poignant music resumes]
[dog barking]
#ARTHURLIVES
[Marília] I already lost
the most important thing.
How long should I drag this out?
Whatever amount I ask for,
ten years from now,
a judge will decide
it should be a different amount.
Am I supposed to suffer
for years and years
because our justice system is so slow?
GOD WORKS AT THE RIGHT TIME
Everyone resolves this
in whatever way they see fit.
CHRISTIAN ESMÉRIO'S MOM
But for me, settling with Flamengo
won't turn the page. I can't just move on.
-How are you doing?
-[Andréia] Hello. We're okay.
How are you?
At the last meeting we had
with their lawyers,
they made it very clear
that it was their final offer,
and they wouldn't negotiate any further.
I talked about it with Cristiano.
What I have seen them do since 2019 is
deflect the blame, look for a scapegoat,
and try to hold other parties responsible
for all the actions they are liable for.
They are the ones who hired the company
to put in shipping containers.
And that company did not indicate
that they were suitable accommodation
for children when they installed them.
They never said they could be used
as a dormitory for kids. Never.
Should the containers have been there?
No. End of story.
LAWYER
That is illegal. And if you do
something illegal, you are liable for it.
CHRISTIAN ESMÉRIO'S DAD
This is a lawsuit we believe
will be successful,
and this lawsuit centers
around the question of values.
There's not much else to debate.
Regarding his career, will they consider
how far Christian could have gone?
Will they consider the drafts?
My son was not just "promising."
He was not just another kid.
They said on TV that
none of the others would go pro.
We have a document from the CBF
saying how many times he was drafted.
[suspenseful music plays]
[woman 8, in Portuguese]
Four years after the fire
that killed ten young Flamengo players
at the Vulture's Nest,
no one has been convicted.
[man 11] Is it just money?
You pay the families and you're done?
Of course not. If children die
inside Flamengo, who is responsible?
[man 12] It was a tale of death foretold.
It was all completely predictable.
There's no doubt in my mind that what
happened that day was not an accident.
[man 13] It was indeed a terrible tragedy.
And, technically speaking, it is a crime.
[man 14] Flamengo is responsible
for the deaths of ten children.
[man 15] The families of the victims
get no answers.
Their children have died inside
a building owned by Flamengo,
in an illegal structure
that shouldn't even have been in use.
Justice has to provide an answer.
[Marília sobs] So special.
[man 15] Who is responsible?
[Marília] You're the love of my life.
[Andréia] This is not about making money.
This is not about compensation.
This is about justice.
"Hello, son. How is everything?"
"Are you taking good care
of your grandparents up there?"
"I'm sure your grandpa
never leaves your side."
"How's Grandma?
Is she being tough on you?"
[gentle music plays]
[Andréia] "My son, I think
I'm going crazy from all the pain."
"Sometimes I cry so much,
I think I will lose control."
"It's been so hard to hide my tears."
"Most of the time, I want to scream
and rip the pain right out of me."
"I don't know how to cope
without you here with me."
"I don't know how to be happy
without talking with you."
"I want you here, so we can do things,
like go to the movies together."
"I want you here,
asking me to buy you candy."
"I want you here,
sleeping with your legs on top of me."
"I want you here."
"I will meet up with you soon.
Love, Mom. Your queen."
I can't accept
that a defendant can sit before a judge
and be allowed to decide
how they will be punished.
That isn't right.
I think that the moment I accept whatever
it is they are willing to give me,
then I give them
the power to decide their own punishment.
[Izabel Raphael]
Those responsible for Flamengo,
they have chosen to hide
and to minimize everything that happened.
But the fans won't let them.
[emotional music plays]
We wrote a song
for the boys lost at the Nest,
and we sing it
in the tenth minute of every match.
FLAMENGO FAN
[Fábio] It's impossible to get
to the tenth minute of the match
and not get emotional,
remembering what happened.
[in Portuguese]
I wish you were all here ♪
Honoring Flamengo's flag
With pride and passion ♪
[Filipe, in English] I have
the infinity symbol tattooed on my finger.
I look at this image
and I remember them, honor them.
They are part of me forever.
I will always carry them with me
in my heart.
[Wendel] I'm not giving up. I'm gonna
leave all that behind me in the past.
But I won't forget
the friends that I lost.
I will play for them. I'll do it for them.
[Marília] What would he look like now?
I imagine he'd have a beard, a goatee.
He really liked that. [chuckles]
He would smell great.
He would turn heads, that's for sure.
BEST GOALIE - UNDER 13 (05/04)
[Darlei] The other day, I was clearing out
some stuff, and I found these cleats.
BERNARDO PISETTA ROAD
I guess it's
a present from him.
CHAMPION - LIBERTADORES
Often, I I come into his room
so I can smell his clothes.
I can still smell him.
The stench of his cleats
I remember he would climb into the car
and take them off.
They smelled terrible, because
because he would sweat!
That's a good smell now.
I miss that smell.
[Cristiano] Could I ever forget
my son's beautiful story?
I can't.
Is Flamengo bigger than my son?
No, it's not bigger than my son.
[crowd, in Portuguese]
This nation will never forget ♪
Flamengo is forever
Going to play for you ♪
[drumming and singing]
Ten stars are shining
In my Flamengo's sky ♪
Ten stars are shining
In my Flamengo's sky ♪
I wish you were all here
Honoring Flamengo's flag ♪
With pride and passion ♪
This nation will never forget ♪
Flamengo is forever
Going to play for you ♪
Sixteen athletes survived the fire
that took place on February 8, 2019.
In October 2023,
only three were still with Flamengo.
In November 2023, Filipe Chrysman
was let go from Guarani Football Club.
By the end of editing this series,
the criminal case was still ongoing.
Eight people face ten manslaughter
and three bodily harm charges.
By the end of editing,
Andréia Candido and Cristiano Esmério's
case was still open.
The other nine families reached
confidential agreements with Flamengo.
By the end of editing, Benedito Ferreira,
the security guard who saved three boys,
was still seeking compensation.
Efforts were made to hear
from other families, survivors,
representatives,
and others involved in this tragedy.
Some never responded,
and many refused to participate.
[somber music plays]
[music fades]