In a move prompted by Portugal’s Ministry of the Treasury, over a hundred officials and police officers conducted inspections at the facilities of the country’s three largest football clubs on Wednesday, amid investigations into potential tax evasion connected to player transfers. The authorities targeted Benfica, Porto, and Sporting, signaling a broad inquiry into financial practices surrounding player deals.
The operation yielded more than sixty records not only at the clubs themselves but also across related sites such as law offices, accounting firms, and private residences. The Central Criminal Investigation and Action Agency (DCIAP) issued a statement in Portuguese detailing the scope of the actions.
These records were gathered from facilities distributed nationwide and from locations connected to the National Republican Guard (GNR), a force akin to Spain’s Civil Guard, reinforcing the breadth of the investigation and its reach across multiple jurisdictions.
Officials described the matter as involving suspected crimes, including qualified tax evasion, social security fraud, and money laundering, with a focus on player transfers, according to the Portuguese Prosecutor’s Office.
The probe also extends to commissions and financial networks involving player agents, as part of broader scrutiny into how transfers are facilitated and funded within the sport.
Prosecutors indicate that irregularities purportedly occurred between 2014 and 2022, a period marked by extensive international movement in the transfer market. They allege that the activities generated illegal assets and benefits related to taxes and social security, potentially surpassing 58 million euros.
Both Benfica and Porto have publicly acknowledged the searches of their facilities and stated their willingness to cooperate with authorities in the ongoing inquiry.
According to the sports daily A Bola, some records were found in the private homes of players, including a striker who formerly belonged to Benfica via a loan spell from Valencia and who is now with Wolverhampton in England.
The same source notes that the Treasury is examining irregularities surrounding that player’s departure from Benfica to Paris Saint-Germain in 2016, as well as his subsequent move from Paris Saint-Germain to Valencia in the following year.
The operation, part of a broader initiative known as “Offside,” represents an extensive investigative effort dating back to 2020. The week’s raids involved more than a hundred locations and targeted a wide circle including clubs, sports agents, lawyers, and players, with high-profile names occasionally cited in reports.
Local media have identified several signatures connected to the Portugal national team during the course of the investigations. Names linked to the case include players who have moved to major European leagues in recent years, raising questions about the accounting practices surrounding such transfers and the agents involved in the deals. The inquiry also touches on notable transfers involving prominent clubs and agents, seeking to map out the flow of payments and services across borders.
Ultimately, the case underscores the complexity of modern football finance, where cross-border exchanges and multi-party arrangements require careful documentation and transparent reporting to avoid legal and fiscal complications. The ongoing proceedings are expected to clarify the roles of clubs, agents, and professionals in ensuring compliance with tax, social security, and financial regulations across national borders, and may influence how future transfers are conducted in Europe and beyond. (Prosecutor’s Office, Portugal)