A former director of a Portuguese football club, along with a coach, will stand trial on charges of aiding illegal immigration and recruiting illegal labor, stemming from allegations they exploited Brazilian players for a low-cost team.
Vítor Catão, formerly of S. Pedro da Cova, a club in the municipality of Gondomar, faces 11 counts of aiding illegal immigration and 11 counts of illegal labor recruitment. He is scheduled to be tried in the São João Novo Court in Porto.
The accusation, reported by Portuguese daily ‘Jornal de Notícias’, alleges Catão recruited Brazilian footballers who were in Portugal illegally.
These players were reportedly paid between $160 and $320 per month.
Some of the athletes allegedly slept in bunk beds in a room situated beneath the club’s stadium stands.
The Public Ministry of Gondomar’s accusation states that Catão and coach Armando Santos intended to build a team using foreign players. They purportedly sought to capitalize on these players’ desire for careers in European football.
The players accepted low wages, hoping for future transfers to better-resourced clubs.
Eleven of these footballers were registered with the Porto Football Association and participated in matches in the regional Elite Pro-Nacional Series 2 Division.
Catão, a known FC Porto supporter, has a prior conviction. He received a three-and-a-half-year suspended prison sentence in “Operation Pretoriano,” a case he has appealed.
He was also expelled as a member of FC Porto.