The City Football Group and the Municipality of Camaçari signed a formal Term of Commitment and Agreement on Saturday, allocating R$ 12 million for the total modernization and reconstruction of the Estádio Municipal Fernando Ferreira Lopes. The agreement marks a significant infrastructure milestone for the city and guarantees complete revitalization for the municipal sports ground, which has faced severe deterioration and closure.
Investment Details and Venue Overhaul
The R$ 12 million financial commitment will fund sweeping structural upgrades overseen by the conglomerate that controls the Bahia SAF. According to project outlines, the renovation plans feature the installation of a FIFA-standard pitch, complete overhauls of the team locker rooms and administrative spaces, and vital electrical and structural upgrades. Built originally in 1985 and partially remodeled between 2005 and 2007, the 7 mil-capacity stadium has long awaited a large-scale rescue plan.
Téo Ribeiro, the sports secretary of Camaçari, noted that the venue had stood largely abandoned and destroyed for over a decade. Ribeiro remarked that the project restores a long-dormant dream for local sports enthusiasts, offering future generations a modernized facility.
Integration With the New City Football Academy
This stadium investment directly aligns with the broader partnership between the municipal government and the City Football Group, anchored by the construction of the new City Football Academy Bahia. Vitor Ferraz, the Director of Operations and Institutional Relations for Bahia SAF, emphasized that the choice of Camaçari for the club’s new training facility stems from the area’s economic growth and the warm reception from local leadership. Ferraz stated that the facility aims to rank among the most modern training centers in the country and one of the most modern globally, reinforcing the club’s long-term competitive strategy.
Additional reports from regional outlets note that the signing event on Saturday morning featured prominent figures, including Camaçari Mayor Luiz Caetano and Bahia SAF CEO Raul Aguirre. The presence of municipal and club executives highlights the collaborative push to accelerate regional sports infrastructure.
Background on the Stadium Closure
The urgency of the renovation follows a multi-year decline in facility conditions. Technical evaluations conducted in November 2023 by the Civil Defense, the Fire Department, and the Bahia State Public Ministry formally underscored serious safety risks, leading to an official closure order ratified in January 2025 by the Superintendency of Sports for the State of Bahia and municipal athletic authorities.
Historically, the Fernando Ferreira Lopes stadium served as an essential alternative venue within the Metropolitan Region of Salvador. Most notably, the stadium hosted Bahia home matches during the 2008 Campeonato Baiano while the Fonte Nova underwent structural repairs after a partial collapse. Once current modernization works conclude, municipal planners intend to utilize the renovated ground for decisive matches in youth competitions and women’s football.
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