The club stressed in a statement that “the preliminary conviction of Cesar Boaventura for three crimes of corruption in sports on behalf of Benfica is a disgrace in the history of Portuguese football.”
The conviction of businessman Cesar Boaventura for three crimes of corruption in sports, with a suspended sentence of three years and four months, deserved an institutional reaction from FC Porto.
On Wednesday, the Matosinhos Court sentenced football businessman Cesar Boaventura to a cumulative imprisonment of three years and four months, suspended, for three crimes related to active corruption in sports.
Cesar Boaventura was also ordered to pay 30,000 euros to a foundation for social solidarity or sports promotion, and to be banned from practicing professional activity as a player agent, directly or indirectly, for two years.
The club stressed in a statement that “the preliminary conviction of Cesar Boaventura for three crimes of corruption in sports on behalf of Benfica is a disgrace in the history of Portuguese football.”
For FC Porto, “the issue is actions that seriously damage the sporting reality of the competitions and contribute to fueling doubts about what determines the classification of the tournament at the time they were committed.”
“The Dragon” considered in a statement that “it is unlikely that such actions result exclusively from the individual will of the convicted person, which is required for the sports justice system to properly evaluate them, determine responsibilities, and act accordingly.”
The court proved the lure of former Rio Ave players Cassio Marcelo and León, but acquitted Cesar Boaventura of corruption in the attempt to form former Maritimo player Romain Salin.
Cesar Boaventura was not present during the reading of the ruling, this afternoon, in the Matosinhos court, due to illness, but his lawyer confirmed at the end of the session that he would appeal the ruling to a higher court.
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