The Prosecutor’s Office is analyzing the transfer, with the focus on “the six million more that Benfica paid” for alleged financing costs of the operation.
Big investigation in Portugal
The Portuguese Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the transfer of Joao Felix, from Benfica to Atletico in the summer of 2019. Within the process called ‘Cartao Vermelho’ (Red Card) by which the former president of Benfica from 2003 to 2021, Luis Filipe Vieira was arrested on suspicion of tax crimes and money laundering, some of them related to his tenure at the club. Now the focus is on the transfer of the current player from Cholo Simeone for 126 million, the most expensive signing in the history of the rojiblanco club. “The Public Ministry’s investigation is based on three pillars: the six million euros more that Benfica paid related to alleged financing costs of the operation, the millionaire commission paid to Jorge Mendes, the soccer player’s agent, and Manuel Moreira de Sa, player of the agent and Felix himself, suspected of tax fraud”, headline that has uncovered the investigation that focuses only on the operations of the Portuguese team, in which, by the way, Atletico has nothing to do To do with these proceedings is not being investigated, only the president of Benfica and his movements.
Joao Felix is also under personal investigation
The last pillar of the investigation points to the footballer himself, Joao Felix, “suspected of having evaded paying a tax”, which points to another wiretap between the president of Benfica and Moreira as the origin of this suspicion. “Luis Filipe says that he then called the ‘boy’s’ lawyer, very distressed, saying that it cannot be said that it is the boy who is going to pay, if not, the treasury falls on the boy. Miguel confirms that no, they will always say the opposite, they will always say that there was a transfer from one side to the other and that is why they are paying more. Luis Filipe confirms and says that a transfer was made part by part to have the money in the account of 120 million.