The Prosecutor Accuses Benfica of Match-Fixing

"Benfica to be excluded from all tournaments" – headlines like this alarmed us all last week. One of Portugal's top three clubs is central to a significant event.

This is significant because Benfica is a powerful force in European football. The team includes World Cup winner and former Real Madrid midfielder Ángel Di María, his fellow Argentine Nicolás Otamendi, Kerem Aktürkoğlu, once one of the world’s most promising players Renato Sanches, and the Greek striker Vangelis Pavlidis, who recently scored a solo goal against England. Could this team really be excluded from all official tournaments?

In recent years, Benfica's results haven’t been as impressive. Over the last five seasons, they’ve only won the league once and only reached the finals in the domestic cup. Their European performance has improved, reaching two Champions League quarterfinals and one Europa League quarterfinal. This season, they started strong in the Champions League, winning their first two matches.

A lack of significant success has led to a drop in revenue. Experts estimate their income has fallen by almost 10%. Even their new contract with Emirates had to be signed under less favorable terms. Now, adding to their troubles, the club faces a match-fixing scandal.

The Portuguese Prosecutor's Office has accused Benfica and its former president, Luís Filipe Vieira, of match-fixing, tax fraud, and embezzlement between 2016 and 2019. Vieira, arrested in July 2021, had run the club for 18 years. Investigators believe he secured results by creating a “bribe fund” through fake invoices.

According to the prosecution, Benfica fixed matches with Vitória Setúbal – winning five out of eight matches. But what's surprising about these results? Benfica's squad is far more substantial and expensive, and Porto and Sporting have similar records against weaker teams.

The authorities point to “friendly” club relations, citing frequent free loans as evidence. However, these arguments aren’t compelling either. From 2016 to 2019, Porto loaned five players to Vitória, while Benfica loaned nine. Is this difference really significant?

Many local media sources claim that Porto's leadership initiated this case. For example, articles with headlines like "André Villas-Boas will fight to the end" have surfaced. However, it’s unclear what Villas-Boas has to do with this since he only became Porto’s president in 2024, while Vieira was arrested three years ago.

In general, Portuguese journalists don’t seem very impartial. They seem to take sides with one club or another, attacking rivals. Therefore, the claims that Benfica risks being excluded from all competitions should be treated cautiously.

Naturally, Benfica denies all accusations and promises to defend its innocence. João Caiado Guerreiro, a lawyer and columnist for the respected publication A Bola, assures that the prosecution has only found evidence against two former Benfica employees who are no longer with the club. He believes this is grounds for a lighter punishment, especially regarding the embezzlement as if proven, the club itself would be the victim.

Other experts hold similar views. Most believe that the club's leaders stole money and committed fraud for personal gain, not to achieve great results. However, it’s unclear what to make of Benfica winning two league titles and a cup during those three seasons (2016–2019), and it has not had much success since.

In conclusion, there is still no convincing evidence that Benfica benefited from Vieira's actions, and the scandal seems to be fueled by local media looking to grab attention and earn ad revenue. And perhaps Porto, seeing an opportunity, is trying to further undermine the most titled club in the country (38 league titles versus Porto's 30).

Published by Patrick Jane
23.10.2024