Sao Paulo soccer club takes case with Palmeiras to court

BRASILIA, April 22 (Xinhua) -- The Brazilian soccer club of Sao Paulo decided on Monday to take case with Palmeiras to court and seek justice.

In Sunday's match against Palmeiras, the away team of Sao Paulo was attacked with natural gas while in the locker-room. Due to the incident, the administration of the team has made the decision.

On Tuesday, the team sent a document to the Court of Sports Justice of the Sao Paulo Federation of Soccer.

The document suggests that the team of Palmeiras violated article #213 of the Brazilian Code of Sports Justice. The code reads that a team, or individual, did not take the necessary stepstool insure the safety of those inside its stadium.

The punishment ranges from $25,000 to $250,000 and could cost their home advantage from one to three games.

According to the document, the administration of the Sao Paulo soccer team states, "what took place, although we did not expect it, was a fact. The team suffered not only from the lack of the coaches instructions during halftime, but also due to the toxic gas that was leaked into the locker-room."

On Wednesday, witnesses of the case will be heard in court. The court will hope to find out what attitude was taken and who is responsible for the crime.

Should Palmeiras be found guilty, the team will lose its home field advantage against Ponte Preta in the finals of the Sao Paulo state tournament.