2.5 The Story of Alcochete: Fool me once, shame on you...

To recap our last post we looked at the day that the searches took place at Casinha, the home of the Juve Leo headquarters situated at the Estádio José Alvalade. For once we drew a neat line under something, namely the charges of drug trafficking made against Nuno Mendes and in turn Cândida Vilar's accusation that free matchday tickets supplied by the football club were being used to finance this supposed illicit activity. Personally I think that Judge Pires was rather taken with the man having heard him in court. Far from being the person that the GNR had painted him out to be in the earliest sessions heard by the court, he'd received quite glowing testimonials from members of the defendants who swore on oath that had Mustafá known of the attacks he would have stopped the plan and had he been at Alcochete he would have ensured the behaviour of those present. The judge said on February 28th, 2020 about Mendes: "I hope that once released, he will be part of the solution and not part of the problem. He has already been described here as a peacemaker. I hope he lives up to the name by which most people call him.”

That's quite a telling statement don't you think? It must have had more than a few officers of the GNR tugging at their collars awkwardly, let alone the prosecution team led by Cândida Vilar who appears as much use in this trial as Luis Suárez one on one with a goalkeeper in the present day. She's failed to find the back of the net with any of her attempts to go after the so-called leaders of the organisations. Instead we've seen her do a Zeno Debast with one almighty own goal after another. So at the end of the 35th session the judge confirmed: "the defendant is released with the obligation to report weekly to the authorities." One case dismissed and we know he was acquitted in weeks to come of being one of the masterminds.

Whilst we may have finally drawn a line under one segment of the case, we've still so many unanswered questions. Cândida Vilar gives of a sense that she is a conspiracy theorist. Presumably too intelligent to be a flat earther and maybe she believes they put a man on the moon because with the prosecutor it feels like one giant leap for man, one giant leep for Cândida. From aggression to terrorism, from drug possession to trafficking, from Fernando Mendes to Nuno Mendes, Bruno de Carvalho and Bruno Jacinto. There is always a gaping void in between everything and no sign of a bridge between the two sides and yet those above her in authority keep giving her licence to pursue new lines of enquiry. She's throwing spaghetti at a wall and hoping something sticks.

The thing is had she been an Italian prosecutor she might have thrown something at the wall that actually stuck. Because there are similar cases that exist where the sale of tickets are used to organised crime and to fund illicit trades.

In 2025 a Milan prosecution heard a case against the ultras of both the Milanese giants of AC Milano and Internazionale. 

The “Ticket Scam” Business Model:

Ticket resales, more commonly known as touting - their system relied on acquiring large tickets quotas which were resold for vast markups. How vast? Well in the case of the Champions League final in 2023 €80 tickets were being resold for anywhere between €600 and €800. That's a stark contrast at the Juve Leo reselling 480 tickets at €15 (€7,200) and an extra 520 at a profit of €4 per ticket (€2,080). 

The case against the Inter ultras was that they were forcing the clubs to increase their supply of tickets. Inter’s version of Mustafá, Marco Ferdico, is alleged to have pressured the then mister Simone Inzaghi to demand more tickets from the club. Prosecutors noted Inter was in a "subservient position" to these demands.

Finally what was referred to as the “Non-Belligerence Pact.” Incredibly despite being rival sets of ultras, the two sets colluded in thr scheme and had a “pact” to maximise their earnings. Now in this instance the two clubs share the famous Giuseppe Meazza stadium in San Siro, Milano but even still rival fans or rival clubs generally behave as… well rivals. Here though they're said to have split illegal earnings not just from tickets but also parking as well. Despite the unproven accusations of Vilar against the Juve Leo, had they any foundation you don't imagine for a second they'd have worked together with the No Name Boys from across the city.

How profitable were the schemes? Well let's remember that Nuno Mendes earned roughly €3,000 per month before tax. Also note Cândida Vilar had no evidence such as wiretaps to fall back on either. Well it's alleged thatVittorio Boiocchi (ex-Inter leader, murdered in 2022) bragged on wiretaps about earning €80,000 per month from his position. 

€80,000 large. Woi.

In that case evidence was found to prove that the Curva Sud generated over €100,000 annually just from ticket resales. The judge in that case described the Curva Nord as a "cover" for 'Ndrangheta money laundering. Each group has their home at one end behind the goals at the stadium hence curva Nord and Sud (North and South). But yes, that is THE 'Ndrangheta. We're not talking low life organised crime here, we're actually playing with the big boys. Sorry Cândida.

The judicial findings concluded that the schemes were being run by criminal associates with ties to the Bellocco clan of the 'Ndrangheta. So actually if you found it surprising that the two ultras groups worked together, maybe they all thought it was wiser, given to whom they were kicking back money to at the top. In June of 2025 Inter’s Andrea Beretta and Milan’s Luca Lucci each received 10 years prison sentences and the courts recognised Inter and Milan as "damaged parties" (victims of extortion), fining the ultras €50,000 each in damages to the clubs.

But the 'Ndrangheta, the Calabrian mafia didn't just have a toe hold in Milano. Even way before then they had known connections with Italy's largest supported club in the country, Juventus, specifically in the Curva sud of the Allianz Stadium. It didn't stop there though, throw in Napoli, Lazio and even Catania.

It was the "Mafia Capitale” trial held in late 2014 that revealed the links between drug trafficking through the Camorra and certain aspects of football club's merchandising and ticketing. Here we find our old friend from series one Fabrizio Piscitelli, the late leader of the Lazio Ultras the Irriducibili, who was sentenced to prison in 2015 and later murdered on a bench in what was considered to have been a professional hit.

All told I'm not going to drag you all further down that rabbit hole but in short whilst Vilar's claims might have seemed far fetched, there are clear examples of it happening in other countries and it seems fairer to at least allow you to think it wasn't all pie in the sky and that there have never been any examples.

Like the aforementioned mafia there are natural buffers and hierarchical systems within the judicial legislative. Maybe one of them should have put a leash on Vilar and reigned her back in. Sometimes in fairness they had at least tried although it's one step forward and two steps back in some instances.

Following the double arrest of Bruno de Carvalho and Nuno Mendes on the same day, the prosecutors office wanted both defendants to be held in pre-trial detention. We heard in our last series how de Carvalho had given it the biggun on RTP claiming he wouldn't have needed to send 50 hooded fans into Alcochete because he'd have … I don't know, some bollocks or other. He clearly fancies himself as some sort of tough guy. I'd suggest by the looks of Mustafá that he is probably the real deal, proper mustard whereas de Carvalho, he's more chat shit get banged. In short I don't think de Carvalho would have lasted a night in prison. I'm guessing Mustafá didn't have any issues. It was de Carvalho's good fortune then when for once someone said no to Vilar. Could have done with them saying it a whole lot more in hindsight. Judge Carlos Delca overruled Vilar on de Carvalho's detention, however he still believed that  there was strong evidence to detain Mustafá. You were so close your honour but you've hit the post and seen the ball cannon back out to safety.

Previous to this Delca had always given the green light to the requests of Cândida Vilar's team, particularly regarding the application of pre-trial detention in the 38 arrests made in the last six months. De Carvalho would have to pay a bail of €70,000 and report to a police station every day as a preventative flight risk measure. He is subject to the least restrictive coercive measure, the Term of Identity and Residence (TIR). Here's my ID officer, you get to sleep in your own bed every night.

Now despite Delca charging Bruno de Carvalho with 57 crimes and Mustafá with 58, including aggravated threats (20 crimes), aggravated assault (12), kidnapping (20), damage with violence (2), possession of a prohibited weapon (2), and terrorism, the only crime with strong evidence according to the judge is the one of drug trafficking. Well we know how good that strong evidence was, that is to say not at all. So we're still back to that age old question of why both men are charged with all of the above and under the umbrella term of terrorism?

Post arrest of both men it was Mustafá who first gave a statement to Judge Delca over the period of one hour followed directly by de Carvalho for two hours. Trust him to have had plenty more to say for himself.

Both suspects spent four nights in GNR (National Republican Guard) facilities in Alcochete and Montijo.

Like the searches carried out at the homes of both men and of the Casinha we're going to have to do some serious digging and hope we come away with more then de Carvalho's daughters laptop and just shy of 20g worth of coke and hash combined. Where is Vilar producing the theories she's basing her prosecution on?

Let's rewind back to the last post where we ascertained the supposed links between the ticket sales and drug trafficking. Where had they originated from? One of the defendants providing evidence whilst on remand. What's the expression about fool me once? No genuinely I've got no net connection and I've no idea. I'll add it later. Surely Cândida Vilar is not basing all her leads on what is essentially prison gossip in the yard? Is she? It might sound like a bold claim but I'm not sure it's that far fetched you know.

Both series have seen so many contradictions that it's pointless trying to name them all. It's like when the teacher or parent has to break up a fight but wasn't witness to how it started. They're all big kids pointing fingers at each other - He started it Miss!. Except in this case Cândida Vilar is then taking sides and pointing her own finger. Maybe she's like a weather vain on a roof with her arm out stretched and she points in whichever direction the wind takes her. Woe betide anyone stood in her way.

Let's cast our minds back to the testimony provided by Rui Patrício to the court, specifically the flares thrown in his general vicinity during the Dérbi de Lisboa at the Estádio José Alvaladez the penultimate game of the 2017/18 season. Note I might not remember the fool me quote but the rest of this is coming off the top of my head. We've got one of the lawyers asking the GNR officer to confirm did you see Rui Patrício when this happened? What the fuck was he supposed to say to that? I'm showing off now, apologies. Anyways, he testified that in his opinion they were thrown onto the pitch and not at him and he simply moved forward. We learned in the first series there was no love lost between him and the club president. De Carvalho messages André Geraldes after the loss to Marítimo starting it along the lines of Fuck King Rui. So there's a chance that Patrício was egotistical enough to believe that they hadn't been thrown at him specifically. What if they had though? We know what was in the rice container at Casinha and behind the bar. Oh and the extractor fan. Have we checked all the cupboards to see what if anything else falls out. This is a metaphorical cupboard by the way. We're not going back to Casinha.

In an article published in Portugal on November 15th, 2018 we get ourselves another contradiction. Yay, just what we love. Sound the sarcasm klaxon.

The report claims that three members of Juve Leo who had been detained after Alcochete claimed they were ordered to throw flares at Patrício. I'm sorry Rui old son seems like someone wanted to stick a rocket up your bum after all. Oh no wait they were flares not fireworks. Same difference. Not only that but they claim the use of pyrotechnics in the stands for that game had prior approval of…can you guess…of course… Sporting CP’s very own Mr Bruno de Carvalho.

Now like I pointed out in the Fernando Mendes post where he claims that de Carvalho encourages him to go talk to the players, there's a vast difference between that and the attacks. I'm not a journalist, I'm not trying to sensationalise that statement. There's another massive hole between giving the green light for pyrotechnics to be used and flares eventually being thrown in the direction of the club captain. Good job he was the goalkeeper. You'd have had to have had a good arm if he was a sitting midfielder. Their claim is very specific though, they were told to aim the flares at Patrício. It's also alleged that furthermore de Carvalho allegedly instructed Mustafá minutes before the game to launch the attack.

I'm playing Catchphrase in my head now - Fool me once, shame me twice?... Concentrate man for Christ's sakes. Portugal, 2018, flares thrown at Patrício, go…

Now I don't know when the protocol was signed between de Carvalho and Juve Leo about the claques having to pick up the tab for flares being thrown onto the pitch. Because if it's a €12,000 fine and you're going to cop the bill for it then one of two things have to happen or maybe more. We know how random my brain is by now. Bruno de Carvalho gave the order and Mustafá went - you can fuck off that's a €12,000 fine and I'm on a nice little earner for the day. He gave the order and Mustafá says - you pick up the tab for it and yeah no problem. Maybe … I told you didn't I? I'm sorry … maybe Bruno de Carvalho asks, not orders and Mustafá stills says his response from the last suggestion. Or scenario four, it's the Dérbi de Lisboa, Mustafá asks for permission to use pyrotechnics on the day, or maybe he tells de Carvalho they will be used on the day and the reason he knows the cost of a flare onto the pitch is cause some dickhead thinks I'll throw it at Patrício and they copped the bill from the club. So nothing more than a general chat stood in front of the Curva before kick off, ‘we're going to do this, this and this during the game. OK?’

Instead having gotten pinched for the attacks at Alcochete, some of the defendants embellish some of their testimony. I won't allege that they were asked to by the GNR officers to take down people in a higher position such as Nuno Mendes and Bruno de Carvalho because this isn't fictional drama on TV or the movies… If this was a podcast you might have a long silence. It's not though so…

Note - since I originally wrote that last paragraph I have found evidence that one of the lawyers does make that exact suggestion in court. So there you go, I let my mind run riot and occassionally these thoughts will tally up to match with reality. There might be some hope for me yet, but I doubt it. 

We've already learned how reliable the claims of drug trafficking from Casinha proved to be. However, there's always some degree of truth to these things it must be said, especially when we know that flares were thrown onto the pitch. Were they thrown at Patrício or were they thrown in the vicinity of Patrício? Does Rui think one thing because of his vanity or does he say it because he doesn't want any come back on him or his family when he returns to Portugal or for that matter extended family still living there? All of these have a ring of truth to them. There might be in game footage but more than likely the cameras would have cut away from the scene and quite frankly it doesn't clear the matter up even if it does exist. Again we're falling into the trap of questions and not answers. We did so well in the last part as well.

It's clearly your classic case of sensationalised headline writing to get people to buy your paper. Or maybe that should be more - to read their website in 2018?

So now we've got a headlining grabbing story that Bruno de Carvalho, the club president of Sporting CP gave the “green light,” for ultras to throw flares at club captain Rui Patrício in the Dérbi de Lisboa. That's attention grabbing isn't it?

Will the Correio da Manhã double down with any bigger claims? I think you know the answer to that because I'm clearly leading the witness again. Objection your honour! Overruled. According to them:

The Public Prosecutor's Office currently has the testimony of at least four individuals involved in the attack in Alcochete who point to Bruno de Carvalho, former president of Sporting, as the mastermind behind the event. BdC, who has a past in the club's fan groups, allegedly used Juve Leo.

Stick or twist? Twist? OK then…

According to the Correio da Manhã, Bruno Jacinto, the club's former liaison officer with the fans, told the Public Prosecutor's Office that the president gave the “green light” to Mustafá, leader of Juve Leo, for the attack in Alcochete.

Say what now?

Monday's edition of Correio da Manhã reveals that Bruno Jacinto – former liaison officer to the fans, who is among the 40 detained in connection with this case – reportedly told authorities that Mustafá, the leader of Juve Leo (also detained on Sunday), told him he had received the "green light" from the president for the attacks on the Alcochete Academy. Bruno de Carvalho also allegedly incited Fernando Mendes, former leader of the supporters' group. "Go after them," he reportedly said on the phone, a conversation overheard by Rui Caeiro, former vice-president of Sporting.

Oh OK thanks for clarifying that's what I thought you said. It is clearly worth pointing out that during questioning both Mustafá and Bruno de Carvalho consistently denied all the accusations. Funny that. Who the fuck is Rui Caeiro when he's at home by the way? Jesus which cupboard was he hiding in all this time to have never received a single mention in any post? Perhaps alongside being the former Sporting VP he was also the Portuguese hide and seek champion?

Well I think we now have a small clue as to why Cândida Vilar has been throwing spaghetti at the wall. We've not done very well with drawing a line under anything in this post have we?

I'm going to leave you with the full statement from the courts on November 15th, 2018 and a couple of paracetamol to take as and when needed. Sod it, have the entire pack.

The full statement.

"The Criminal Investigation Court of Barreiro, Lisbon District Court, informs journalists that, due to the partial strike of court officials, the order applying coercive measures to the defendants now detained in connection with case no. 257/18.0 GCMTJ, initiated for the events that occurred at the Sporting Clube de Portugal Academy, has only now been read."

Furthermore, it is reported that both defendants, BRUNO MIGUEL AZEVEDO GASPAR DE CARVALHO and NUNO MIGUEL RODRIGUES VIEIRA MENDES, given that there is evidence of the occurrence of the objective and subjective elements of the crimes with which they are charged:

- twenty aggravated threat crimes, punishable under articles 153, no. 1 and 155, no. 1, paragraph a) of the Penal Code;

- twelve crimes of aggravated assault, punishable under Article 143, No. 1 and Article 145, No. 1, subparagraph a), No. 2, in reference to subparagraph h) of No. 2, of Article 132 of the Penal Code of:

- twenty crimes of kidnapping, punishable under article 158, no. 1 of the Penal Code;

- two crimes of damage with violence, punishable under articles 212, no. 1, and 214, no. 1, paragraph a), of the Penal Code;

- two aggravated crimes of possession of a prohibited weapon, punishable under Article 86, No. 1, paragraph d) and Article 89, in reference to Article 2, No. 5, paragraph af) eq) and Article 91, No. 1, paragraph a) and No. 2 of Law No. 5/2006, of 23.02;

- a crime of terrorism, punishable under Article 4, No. 1, in reference to Article 2, No. 1, paragraph a) of Law No. 52/2003, of August 22, as amended by Law No. 60/2015, of June 24.

Furthermore, there is strong evidence indicating that the defendant, NUNO MIGUEL RODRIGUES VIEIRA MENDES, was the perpetrator of:

- a drug trafficking crime, foreseen and punishable under article 21, paragraph 1 of Decree-Law 15/93 of January 22.

Furthermore, given the specific risks of flight, disruption of the investigation, particularly regarding the acquisition, preservation, and veracity of evidence, continuation of criminal activity, and serious disruption of public order and tranquility, considering the nature of the offenses and the social visibility inherent in their commission, and given that the defendants' actions demonstrate a clear disregard for the serious consequences they cause to the victims, the following measures were applied to each of the defendants: only in relation to the drug trafficking offense imputed to the defendant Nuno Mendes are there strong indications resulting from the evidence in the case file (which implies that it is not possible to apply the coercive measures foreseen in articles 200 to 202 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (prohibition or imposition of conduct, obligation to remain at home, and preventive detention)), in addition to the Statement of Identity and Residence, the coercive measures of daily presentations at the... "Criminal Police bodies in their respective areas of residence, and also the provision of bail in the amount of €70,000.00”

Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me...

Turns out I was wrong by the way, you can find footage and holy mother of God, I don't know why I assumed it was maybe 2 or 3 flares thrown onto the pitch. There's a reaction from de Carvalho 1:06 in that would suggest he's either a good actor or he really did not give the so called "green light" for the flares to be thrown on to to the pitch. Jesus I wish I'd found that before I started writing above. Still at least you know I don't change these things to sound clever. 

(1) Sporting - Benfica (Liga 33ªJ): Claque leonina atira tochas para o relvado - YouTube

Join us in our next post when hopefully I will learn not to assume and make an ass out of you and me. I'm off to watch that video again.