Exclusive: Suspicions of corruption in a penalty kick that allowed Benfica to reach the Champions League

The investigation believes that the Red Club will appoint a player for a penalty committed in the last round of the tournament

The Public Prosecutor’s Office suspects that Benfica secured access to the Champions League in the 2017/18 season, at the expense of Sporting, through a penalty kick committed by a Moreirense player against the Reds in the last round match, which secured Benfica 1-0. Winning at the Estadio da Luz.

The player in question is Alfa Semedo, and the investigation believes that in return, in an alleged crime of sporting corruption, Benfica paid Moreirense, at the end of that season, 2.5 million euros for 50 percent of the player’s sporting rights. .

This is one of the facts from the massive five-year operation against Benfica that TVI/CNN Portugal had access to.

€43m was at stake for who finished second in the championship and reached the Champions League – since FC Porto were crowned champions – and challenged their Lisbon rivals for the vacant spot to the last.

In the last round, on May 13, 2018, Sporting lost points in Madeira, against Maritimo, with a slip from goalkeeper Rui Patricio, and Benfica got 3 crucial points in a match that resulted in the prosecution, after an investigation by the judicial police. He thought he was addicted.

There is a suspicion of sporting corruption in this process, in favor of Benfica, due to the economic dependence of several clubs smaller than the red clubs, which is now up to the Public Prosecution Office to demonstrate an accusation that must be known later. this year.