Say It Ain’t So, Jose!
By: Greg | July 25th, 2007
The Associated Press broke today with a story regarding widespread match fixing which allegedly took place in 03/04 at the highest level of Portuguese football. Apparently the investigation, dubbed Operation Golden Whistle due to the fact that golden whistles were literally involved in referee payments, encompasses a handful of BWINLIGA matches and a little more than a dozen second league matches. The AP report describes the intensification of the investigation which took place “…after a former girlfriend of Porto’s chairman made new allegations against him in a best-selling book. She subsequently was interrogated by the special unit.” Ohh a woman scorned…
Portuguese policy is to not disclose any details but according to the AP report: “Local media reported that among the accused were FC Porto chairman Jorge Pinto da Costa; Portuguese Soccer League president Valentim Loureiro; and the former head of the League’s referee committee, Jose Pinto de Sousa.” Benfica have also been mentioned as being allegedly involved in at least one match under question. These charges really should come with littel surprise, as this type of cronyism has been suggested not only here through comments and discussion but throughout opinion boards and various other outlets.
It should be stressed that these are only charges and the people involved are still only alleged to have been taking place in such awful, damaging endeavors. However, with the surfacing of the widespread problem in Italy which resulted in relegations and fines and the latest NBA referee scandal, one wonders just what it will take to keep sport as pure as possible in present-day society. Cheaters continue to tarnish the image of sports across the globe, and while completely abolishing any form of cheating is a fool’s errand at best, one should hope that those marshalling the games would have at least enough pride and dignity to do the proper job. As further clarification and details are released, I’ll be sure to have more for you.
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Comments
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Isn’t this guy among the biggest scumbags in Portugal? Earlier this summer it came out that he was buying prostitutes for referees and all sort of other sleazy crap — he’d fit right in Italy! (I didn’t realize it was only in relation to 03/04 — what, he spontaneously saw the light right after that? Please.)
Posted from
Portugal
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Dang it…I hope it isn’t true. News like this is always so disappointing to hear.
Posted from
United States -
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Martha, you’re just being initiated in all the sweet and dramatic dimensions of portuguese football, Greg has decided to reveal and consequently cause a drop in the stock market, for no particular reason…
In this sense, it’s pretty much like ITA but in a smaller scale (and often so DUHH, we just can’t believe it really happened) or SPA…Pinto da Costa has been a great President for FCP but, although his soul is white as snow ;-), his CV is not… 03/04…? I never hired ukranian prostitues for referees… The telephone recordings only mention “fruit to be delivered”…
Girl, wake up and stop believing in Santa Claus… Maybe 73/74 would be more accurate…
He was not yet president but he was already a businessman…There were even jokes that in the year FCP won the Champs, both Mourinho and Him, in the shower rooms at half time, would turn to the players and say: “You’re gonna score, got it…? We’ve got your wife and kids… You don’t score, they loose a finger…”
Changing subject, I’m also not so happy Simao is going to Atl Madrid. First, it’s a drop in overall level in the PT league (together with Pepe, Nani and Anderson going as well). Second, Atleti aren’t gonna win anything. Third, and only positive thing in him leaving, is that I’m a Sporting fan…
Posted from
Netherlands -
What’re Benfica going to do without him, for god’s sake? (And I’m laughing about you being a Sporting fan, Pedro — I’m guessing you don’t care what Benfica will do in his absence.)
(”Fruit to be delivered?!” Oh yeah, that’s ALL kinds of of classy right there. :-))
Posted from
Portugal -
It wasn’t a joke - ridiculous as it may seem. There were recordings on phone conversations and that was the code used.
Naturally, being a Sporting fan I don’t really want Benfica to win. But I respect that club a lot (a pedigree most don’t know, simply cos PT football isn’t as strong today as it once was) and feel that while PT doens’t start investing in itself a bit more, we’re doomed to be just a “factory” for tallents that eventually leave to become great euroepan players… If the PT league would develop, level would rise, players would stay and foreigners would come - we already have sopme 48% of foreigners, mailny brasillian strikers, which aren’t really foreigners, at least surelly not like the others).
The spainish league wasn’t that special (or at least the level couldn’t possibly be compared with today’s), apart from Real and Barca, some 15-20 years ago. Italy was IT. ENG too but different style.
Beinfica without Simao, well… He’s a very good player. I’d rather have him than Quaresma, although Quaresma is reaching full power and it’s absolutelly dazzling, Simao is much more mature and I believe influences much more the whole team. A much more complete player, although less skilled. Both came from Sporting’s “tallent Oven”…
Posted from
Netherlands
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