1.8 The fall and rise of Bruno de Carvalho - The Exodus
Let's begin by quickly recapping part 7 for you in which we
took a deeper look at Portuguese ultras and in particular the claques of
Sporting Clube de Portugal and their relationship with Bruno de Carvalho. We
followed the fall out in Madeira when the lions lost 2-1 to Marítimo and
threats from leaders of the Juve Leo towards Acuña and Battaglia in particular
with one leader allegedly telling the pair “see you in Alcochete.” A crisis
meeting was held by the board in which it is again alleged and then denied by
de Carvalho that the decision was made to suspend the mister Jorge Jesus.
Before that story had a chance to grow wings and fly, the players and club
staff were physically attacked at the club's training ground in Alcochete by
around 50 individuals coming just five days before they were due to play in
Jamor in the Taça de Portugal final. The players would ultimately decide to
play despite the attacks but lost the final 2-1 and we left on the question of
how the club would replace the revenue lost by their failure to qualify for the
Champions League?
Since the players and the club's coaching staff were the
ones on the receiving end of the attacks in Alcochete it seems only fair that
we begin to follow what happened next with them.
Now cast your minds back if you will to part three when
Marco Silva was the club's new mister taking over the previous incumbent
Leonardo Jardim who had been dismissed by Bruno de Carvalho after just one
season in charge. Silva's fate married that of Jardim's and Sporting produced a
400 page document that they claimed gave them ‘just cause’ to fire their young
coach. How those two words would come back to haunt the club at a time they
needed to find a way to bring in additional revenues during the summer.
Let's start with the mister Jorge Jesus because that will be
the quickest and simplest to report. The club agreed to terminate their deal
with him and in doing so would most likely save them the best part of €5m per
season depending on who they brought in as the new mister and what their
equivalent baseline salary would be. On June 5th, 2018 just 24 days after the
attacks in Alcochete, Jesus was announced as the new coach of Saudi Arabian
club Al Hilal on a one year deal with an option to extend for a further twelve
months. His three year stay with Sporting would see him paid a minimum of €17m
before taxes and achieve just two titles - the Supertaça and the Taça da Liga.
Though it must be noted the actions of the attackers at Alcochete played a big
part in him not completing the cup double in his last campaign to make it three
in total. Even had that been won it still would have felt like a poor return on
their investment for a coach that had previously won ten titles with the
neighbours.
So that's the mister gone. Let's remind you that in previous
posts we covered de Carvalho's loathing and utter contempt for football agents
and one agent in particular, Portugal's very own super agent Jorge Mendes. It
maybe therefore comes as no surprise to learn that with the opportunity to
stick the knife into de Carvalho that some of the squad and their agents jumped
at the opportunity. You had one set of agents who'd had the club president go
to war with them. One set of players who'd been vilified on social media by the
club president, then suspended and then attacked by individuals some of whom
not only had links to de Carvalho but worse, personal relationships. The
quickest option to leave the club would be to legally rescind their contracts
and any player seeking to cite just
cause to achieve that aim will have to do so within a 30 day window following
the date of the Alcochete attacks. It was June 1st, 2018 when a small group of
players took that option, meaning that if successful, they could leave Sporting
on a free transfer at a time when the club desperately needed to raise funds to
offset the loss of Champions League money having failed to qualify for the
tournament. Given their legal basis for being able to do so was the same ‘just
cause’ cited in the dismissal of Marco Silva it was surely evidence, if any was
ever needed, that what goes around comes back around.
The academy at Alcochete has a stellar reputation for
producing not only good youngsters, but for introducing the careers of some of
the world's biggest names in football, two of whom would go onto be named
Ballon d'Or winners and one of them many would argue, the greatest player of
all time. Step forward Luis Figo and of course a certain Cristiano Ronaldo.
Every time someone breaks through into the first team, extra special interest
is nearly always paid to their progress. This was also a side packed with several
Portuguese international players. Remember we're only twelve months on from
Sporting trying to negotiate a deal with West Ham for midfielder William for
the best part of 40 million euros though West Ham's bid would fall way short of
the club’s valuation and would have been rejected had Sporting claimed to have
ever received it in the first instance. Potentially clubs could have themselves
a bargain, Sporting Clube de Portugal could end up losing a fortune because of
the idiotic behaviour of a tiny subset of its followers.
The players and their agents clearly believed that they were
legally justified in their claims of just cause and once one player took the
step to use the legal argument, we quickly had a domino effect. Rúben Ribeiro
and Daniel Podence may not have overly caused concern as two of the names who'd
eventually join the total list of players looking to leave Sporting but I'm
guessing by the time Bas Dost had joined the list you imagine the panic alarms
had been well and truly sounded within the clubs hierarchy and legal team. The
big Dutch forward who was the club's top goalscorer would have more cause than
most you imagine given he was the player who suffered the worst physically
during the attacks with lacerations to the head that needed medical attention
having been attacked with a belt. He was heavily linked a with a move to
Sevilla. Worst news was to come for the board and that of course means for
Bruno de Carvalho in particular when four members of Portugal's World Cup squad
- Rui Patrício, William Carvalho, Gelson Martins and Bruno Fernandes had joined
the previously mentioned trio in choosing to rescind their contracts too, so
now they were facing seven players leaving for free, clearly still with the
danger that others could still also follow suit. Now Bruno Fernandes hadn't yet
fully garnered the reputation that he would go on to cultivate as one of the
world's best midfielders but he was on the right path. Atlético Madrid,
Liverpool, Juventus and Tottenham Hotspur amongst the clubs said to be scouting
him at that time and even after just one season he was well en route to
becoming one of the very best number 10s in the Portuguese game, despite his
petulance. Sorry Bruno but if you're reading this I know you've just thrown
your hands up in a sign of dismay at my words, somethings never change. I
personally don't think it's unfair to put a market value of around €100m
collectively for those four players to which Sporting in theory had just kissed
goodbye to. Ribeiro isn't a name that rings any bells I must say but Podence
was certainly a bright talent. A ball playing midfielder with a low sense of
gravity and bubble gum boots that the ball stuck to. He would have been one for
the future with a potential high market value somewhere down the line. Suitors
for Gelson were certainly being told the same price as was quoted for William
of €40m though whether they'd have achieved that is another matter entirely for
a winger who could run fast in a straight line but in this writer's humble
opinion couldn't frankly cross a ball if his life had depended on it. Mind you
he'd have been OK if he'd been in the same room as best friend Rúben Semedo. Do
I need to say allegedly here? Possibly. Allegedly. Gelson being a product of
Alcochete represents that magic formula for football clubs of no fee paid,
meaning pure profit when sold at the other end. I'm probably underselling
Alcochete by the way. Not only does it have the stellar reputation for the
quality of footballers it produces but also in the way it fosters players in
life skills too and helps them grow. OK maybe not all of them but if we exclude
Rúben Semedo and his alleged attempted murder and his mate Gelson who didn't
have much between his ears, in general it's an added plus for clubs buying
their academy graduates. Think Eric Dier as a shining example, the thinking
man's footballer. Fluent in several languages and more likely to be found in an
art gallery than falling out of a nightclub.
Rui Patrício, club captain, client of Jorge Mendes, he of
Marítimo injury time howler fame, cited “gross negligence,” for the clubs
failure to protect the players during the assault. Now stop and consider how
you might have reacted at this juncture if you were the club president. Would
you have listened to the players concerns? Made public apologies. Maybe behind
the scenes made overtures to the effect that you fully understood their desire
to leave the club given what had happened but an arrangement that suited all
parties would be more beneficial at this time. Or would you have gone diving in
with your studs showing in a late tackle? Which is basically and unsurprisingly
what de Carvalho chose to do, once more inciting a war of words with Jorge
Mendes who again let's not forget had been made persona non grata at Sporting
and de Carvalho had forced both William and Adrien Silva to remove Mendes as
their agent. In relation to Patrício, de Carvalho is said to have responded by
choosing to accuse Mendes of "profiting from a delicate situation"
and using "blackmail" to secure a big commission when his client
signed for a new side. That'll get you back on his good side and Christmas card
list Bruno old boy... or, maybe not.
The players collective want was for de Carvalho to resign
his position as club president and rather I'm sure by now that it won't shock
you to learn that he'd flatly refused which is ultimately why some players
ended up taking the action they were doing now.
Clearly something changed in the minds of certain players.
If you're a Manchester United fan who by chance happens to be reading this you
may well be thinking hang on, didn't we sign Bruno Fernandes from your mob for
the best part of fifty million quid? You'd be quite right, yes you did and
thank you very much. Having just been named in the present as the Football
Writers Premier League player of the season in 2026 he continues to be a
bargain.
Of course leaving wasn't going to be as simple as citing
just cause, waving goodbye and leaving for pastures new on a free contract.
Remember Sporting had needed a 400 page document when they used it to get rid
of Marco Silva. Those wishing to leave enlisted the help of the Portuguese
Players' Union. The union correctly informed them that a court would legally
need to establish the existence of just cause. If, and it's a big if, if they
could do so it would mean that the players would have had a legally sufficient
reason for their actions.
In total nine players sort to leave under the pretext of
just cause. The last two names missing were that of Battaglia who you may
remember alongside Acuña was one of the two players specifically threatened by
Juve Leo leader Fernando Mendes during their heated altercation at the Madeira
airport, plus one of the academies most promising of all talents Rafael Leão
who really was already being tipped for greatness. A winger who in his earlier
appearances I had noted had that rarest of magical ability's to leave that
thumping sound in the stands as chairs snapped back as fans would rise to their
feet to catch a full view of him as he set off in action down the wing. Like
Bruno Fernandes he wasn't there yet but we would see him go on to firmly
establish himself as one of the most highly rated wingers in European football.
Sadly in Leão's case that was never in the green and white of Sporting again.
Rui Patrício signed for Wolverhampton Wanderers who'd been
promoted to the Premier League that summer. Gelson Martins signed for Atlético
de Madrid in Spain. Daniel Podence joined Olympiacos in Greece.
The players might have thought they were home and dry but
the club counter acted. Note the use of the term club and not Bruno de
Carvalho. Spoiler alert, by June 23rd, 2018 he was no longer club president and
had the nine chosen to stay they'd have finally had their wish to see him gone
fulfilled. On August 2nd press officer Jose C Ribeiro confirmed that Sporting
had filed a complaint to FIFA and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)
against Patrício, Gelson and Podence seeking compensation for the departed
players. Reports in Portugal suggested Sporting were seeking to recoup by
various means €197 million in total compensation for the six players that did
eventually leave the club.
On July 20th, 2018 Portuguese media outlet RTP reported that the Joint
Arbitration Committee (CAP) acknowledged the termination of the contracts of
Patrício and Podence “for purely sporting purposes” and thus with this decision
recognised the right to “sporting disengagement”. In legal terms it meant the
process continued in the courts and the ultimate decision would rest with the
Labor Court or the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The pair are reported to
have been the first two players to rescind their contracts and confirmed they'd
already signed for their respective new clubs.
Eventually three of the players - Bas Dost, Bruno Fernandes
and Battaglia would reverse their decision and choose to sign new deals with
the club. In fact the re-signing of Fernandes in particular would help stave
off the threat of creditors in times to come when the clubs financial woes once
more rose to the surface.
On July 13th, 2018 William Carvalho left for Real Betis in a
deal worth an initial €16m plus an additional €4m in variable costs for 75% of
the players rights with €10m more to come later for 20% of his rights depending
on certain conditions and achievements having been met.
On August 8th Rafael Leão was announced as a Lille player
signing on a five year deal.
In October Ribeiro was announced as a player for Al Ain in
Abu-Dhabi.
On October 31st, 2018 it was reported that Wolves had agreed
to pay €18m for Patrício and thus avoiding any potential legal battle.
In January of 2019, AS in Spain reported that Sporting would
go before the Portugal Court of Sports Arbitration to demand €105m for Gelson
on the grounds he signed a new contract with a buyout clause of €100m. If you
thought West Ham and Sporting were way off with their respective values
concerning William, well Atlético valued the player at €15m and Sporting it
appears would have settled on a figure between €30m and €40m. Finally in May of
2019 a deal was concluded between both clubs with Atlético paying €22.5m.
Whilst William was transferred and deals were struck with
Wolves for Patrício and Atlético Madrid for Gelson, in the cases of Leão,
Podence and Ribeiro they'd still be sat between FIFA and CAS. The fallout would
continue for a number of years.
On February 20th, 2020 the claim Sporting files before the
FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) against Rúben Ribeiro arguing the player
had terminated his contract without just cause and seeking more than €60m in
compensation from the player was rejected. Sporting then took the claim to the
Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), once more claiming more than €60m against
the player. On February 14th, 2022 CAS rejected that appeal. I'm guessing Mrs
Ribeiro probably enjoyed a good Valentine's Day evening that year. That was
three months and a day shy of the four year anniversary of the attacks. That
being the same Ribeiro that I don't even remember as a Sporting player and who
justifiably probably wasn't with €600,000. €60m seems absurd because his twenty
times Great Grand Children would still have being paying off the debt had the
club wo. It doesn't leave as bad a taste as say the court case involving
Cardiff City and Nantes following the tragic death of Emiliano Sala but
ultimately it served little purpose other than as a warning to anyone looking
to rescind their contracts in the future.
The following day O Jornal Económico reports that CAS has ruled that French
club Lille is responsible for paying €16.5 million in compensation to Sporting
for Leão. That story just ran and ran and if you want the full details I have
added a piece at the bottom which gives the full context.
On September 3rd, 2019 it's reported that Olympiacos had
finally reached agreement with Sporting over Daniel Podence. The Greek club
undertook to pay €7m, with all parties waiving any rights under the contract
entered into by Podence and Sporting SAD as well as the termination initiated
by the player. Sporting had taken the matter to FIFA seeking the full €60m
release clause in his contract.
By January of 2022 Sporting had once more found themselves
in a perilous financial position. Their cash-flow situation described as
'precarious.' Manchester United came knocking for Bruno Fernandes who by now
had fulfilled his promise. A deal was struck for United to pay £46.6m up front.
This also enabled the club to secure gap funding. With the Covid-19 crisis
taking hold of the world's economy not just in football, that payment for a
player who could have in theory have left for nothing 3 and a half years
earlier was one of the main factors to the club surviving short to long term.
But that chapter belongs to a different timeline and a different story
altogether.
Back in 2018 we'd be next off to the Portuguese courts and
not in reference to the players rescinding their contracts. Join us again next
time for the part in the story when Sporting Clube de Portugal have their dirty
linen hung out in public with the world watching on. This time in court it will
be for the trials relating to the attacks that took place on May 15th, 2018 at
Alcochete and one question will be central - did the club president Bruno de
Carvalho order those attacks?
In the meantime here's the timeline of the Rafa Leão saga as
reported and lifted in full from sempremilan.com
This morning, Sporting CP published an official document
announcing that Lille had paid the €16.5m (which later became more than €19m
due to interest) for Leão’s fine, specifying however that they will continue in
the legal battle to obtain the €45m that was in his release clause at the time.
MilanNews have published some specifics regarding the
situation given the confusion that is currently prevalent among the Milan fan
base who thought the matter was done and dusted.
It should also be noted that:
Therefore, it means that Lille paid the amount including
interest into Sporting CP’s accounts after the transfer of Leão through
‘unilateral action, without prior agreement’.
The will of the Lusitanian club has always been to obtain
the €45m euros, and they tried to do it through every possible avenue.
The latest update on the matter arrived in April of this
year, when the decision was awaited from FIFA , in particular from the DRC
(Dispute Resolution Chamber), which had the task of defining the amount to be
received before referring the case to the CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport –
based in Lausanne, Switzerland), the body that will have the final say on the
case.
FIFA’s decision arrived and, contrary to what was requested
by Sporting, it did not change the cards on the table and the initial €16.5m
was deemed fair. The timeline of events is as follows:
Meanwhile, Leão renewed with Milan until 30 June 2028, with the Rossoneri management playing a key role in mediating the talks involving Lille.
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