Nov. 14 (UPI) — Bruno de Carvalho, former president of Portuguese soccer team Sporting CP, will be detained for a third day after he was accused of ordering the beating of players, coach and other team staff.
The Barreiro court in greater Lisbon said the former Sporting president must wait until Wednesday for his arraignment, as there were delays because of an unrelated court workers’ strike, Portuguese media TVI said Tuesday.
De Carvalho faces charges for 56 crimes. Those include two charges of injury with violence, 20 kidnapping charges, one terrorism charge, 12 charges over offenses to physical integrity, one charge of carrying a forbidden weapon and 20 charges of aggravated threats, according to TVI.
He had been detained Sunday over the May beatings that occurred when he was the club’s president.
A similar fate awaits Nuno Mendes, who led a group of team followers of the soccer club nicknamed “the lions,” and was also detained Sunday over the same beatings.
The charges stem from an attack on May 15, when about 40 hooded individuals appeared on club grounds and attacked players, trainers and other staff, Sapo Desporto reported.
Of those, 23 were initially arrested and after investigations the number of people detained for physically participating in the attack rose to 38, Sapo Desporto added. De Carvalho was removed from the club’s presidency in June, it said.
Sporting is currently second ranked in Portugal’s top soccer league, only trailing Porto by a close margin.
