Ricardo Mangas joined Sporting CP as a left-back this past August. But his move was more than just another player signing. It became a lesson in careful money handling in sports, especially with clubs from certain countries.
Let’s rewind a bit to understand why. Take German Conti, an Argentine defender now playing for Gimnasia. Back in 2023, Conti left Benfica for Lokomotiv. Benfica made sure they would get a cut from any future transfer. Just months later, Conti went on loan to Colón. Benfica then received about 70,000 euros. However, this money arrived after sanctions against Russia were already active. Any financial transfers to that country were either frozen or under strict watch.
This situation caught the eye of the Central Department of Investigation and Criminal Action (DCIAP). They opened an investigation into the Benfica board, led by president Rui Costa. He has been called to testify. Benfica’s own legal team quickly spotted the problem and immediately returned the 70,000 euros.
This case raised questions about other deals in Portuguese football. Ricardo Mangas had two such moves. First, he transferred from V. Guimarães to Spartak Moscow for 2 million euros in September 2024. Then, this past August, he moved from Spartak to Sporting CP’s home base in Alvalade. That deal was for a fixed 300,000 euros, plus bonuses that could reach up to 1 million euros.
Careful Checks and No Bank Problems
When it came to Mangas’s transfer to Sporting, it’s understood that the club’s board followed all required due diligence steps. This was extra important since potential legal issues were public knowledge.
Before even talking to Spartak, Sporting looked deeply into the proposed deal. They took necessary steps to ensure everything was clear to proceed. They got positive advice from two outside, expert groups: a national law firm and an international one. Both were hired just for this case. Since no obstacles were found, Sporting’s partner bank also approved the transfer of funds without any trouble. In fact, they authorized it.
We also learned that neither Spartak, one of the clubs involved, nor its actual owners have been sanctioned by the European Union or OFAC, the US agency that controls assets.
Everything followed the law. Sporting waited for the green light from every authority. This is why Mangas’s deal took longer to close. The announcement of the player, now Sporting’s number 91, was delayed by about a week.