João Vale e Azevedo

João António de Araújo Vale e Azevedo (born 17 May 1957) is a former Portuguese lawyer and convicted money launderer, who was the 31st president of S.L. Benfica.

Presidency of Benfica

A drawing of Vale e Azevedo and a description of his presidency at Museu Benfica

On 31 October 1997, Vale e Azevedo was elected as the 31st president of Portuguese club S.L. Benfica, succeeding Manuel Damásio, in the second most contested elections in the club's history.^[3] He won the elections with 51.5% of 19,824 votes. Soon after, he signed Graeme Souness as coach of the football team. One year and a half later, Souness left the club and stated: "Vale e Azevedo lies when he looks in the eyes. Be careful, this man is dangerous".^[4][5]

On 6 November, Vale e Azevedo declared void three contracts between Benfica and Olivedesportos, and announced to take the case to court. These contracts, which were related to static advertising and broadcasting rights of Benfica football matches, had been signed on 28 March 1996 by his predecessor, Damásio. Eight days later, Vale e Azevedo signed an agreement protocol with SIC for the broadcasting of Benfica matches at the Estádio da Luz for the 1997–98 season. Then, on 8 February 1999, Benfica signed a contract with SIC for the broadcasting rights of all home matches in the league between 1999–2000 and 2003–04 seasons. On 2 November 2000, the three contracts with Olivedesportos were deemed void by the court.^[6]

During his three-year presidency, which ended on 31 October 2000, Benfica accumulated huge debts and occasionally was not able to pay taxes or players' salaries.^[7] Moreover, the football team did not win any silverware. Some of his highlights were the "discovery" of coach José Mourinho and the cycling team's Volta a Portugal victory in 1999.^[8] Vale e Azevedo was succeeded by Manuel Vilarinho.^[3]

Imprisonment

On 16 February 2001, Vale e Azevedo was detained and put under arrest at his home in Almoçageme, Sintra. Months later, on 7 August, Vale e Azevedo was sent to jail. Prosecutors were concerned that he would leave the country or tamper with evidence. They investigated allegations that he kept at least $1 million (£680,000), from the football transfer of Sergei Ovchinnikov from Benfica to Alverca FC, and laundered cash through offshore banks in the British Virgin Islands.^[4] They investigated a total of 14 counts of embezzlement. At the time it was reported that Vale e Azevedo's yacht, Lucky Me, was paid with part of that money.^[7][4]

On 17 April 2002, he was sentenced to four and a half years in the "Ovchinnikov" case and was detained in Lisbon. On 8 July 2004, he was out on €250,000 bail, in relation to the "Euroárea" case. On 30 March 2007, he was sentenced to five years in prison in the "Ribafria" case. Months later, on 11 July, he was again sentenced to prison, this time to seven and a half years for two crimes in the "Dantas da Cunha" case. On 5 May 2008, the National Republican Guard went to his house to detain him in connection to the latter case but he was in London, England. Two months later, he was voluntarily arrested at the police station in Belgravia, west London, on 8 July following a European Arrest Warrant.^[4][9]

On 13 November 2012, he was extradited to Portugal. He was then sentenced to ten years in prison on 2 July 2013, for six crimes, and ordered to pay Benfica around €7 million for the money he kept from the transfers of footballers: Scott Minto (£500,000), Gary Charles (£1,200,000) and Tahar El Khalej ($850,000).^[10] On 7 June 2016, he was released from prison on parole after serving five-sixths of the 11.5-year sentence.^[11][12]

References