Barcelona’s City Council has levied a €26,000 penalty against the Marcet Foundation, citing serious neglect and deterioration of the Teixonera-Vall d’Hebron municipal sports complex in the Horta-Guinardó district.
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The fine addresses what municipal reports describe as “grave” and “very grave” infractions related to the upkeep of the public football and rugby pitches. The Marcet Foundation, a prominent football academy, has managed the facility under a public concession since 2019. However, families, users, and local sports clubs have persistently complained about the complex for several years.
The issue gained significant political attention in late 2023 when a coalition of parties, including the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) and Barcelona en Comú, successfully called for an extraordinary plenary session at the City Council to debate the facility’s condition.
A Pattern of Non-Compliance
This latest penalty follows a previous €6,000 sanction issued to the foundation in early 2024 for similar failures. At the time, the council demanded urgent action to remedy the decline in standards, which reportedly included poor sanitation and the presence of rodents.
A council spokesperson speaking to Metrópoli Abierta stated that the foundation’s “repeated failure to meet its obligations” following the initial warning motivated the new fine.
The core of the issue lies in the foundation’s alleged breach of its contractual duties. Officials state that the organisation failed to implement a “sufficient” maintenance programme and did not submit required documentation, including audited accounts and technical maintenance audits. This lack of transparency, the council argues, prevented an earlier detection of the widespread problems.
Insufficient Improvements and Continued Oversight
The Marcet Foundation opted not to appeal the €26,000 fine during the public hearing period and is now obligated to pay it. The council has also set a new deadline for the foundation to provide the outstanding documentation.
Officials from the Horta-Guinardó district confirmed they have initiated “an intensive process” to monitor the foundation’s activities. While they acknowledge “some improvements” since the first penalty, officials assert that “the management does not satisfactorily adapt” to the contractual conditions.
The firm stance on contractual compliance at the sports complex reflects a broader municipal focus on maintaining public infrastructure, a commitment also seen in recent projects where the Barcelona Council fixed 700 leaks in the city’s water network to conserve billions of litres of water.
The difficulties at Teixonera-Vall d’Hebron also underscore the challenges faced by local sports clubs in other parts of the city. In the neighbouring district of Nou Barris, for instance, another club has reported operating at a loss due to the poor condition of its municipal field, an area where the council is making other infrastructure investments, such as the €3.17m revamp of Carrer de la Flor de Neu.
The City Council’s continued pressure indicates that patience is wearing thin. Whether these coercive fines will finally prompt the necessary and lasting improvements at the Teixonera-Vall d’Hebron sports complex remains to be seen.
