Jaime Reina / AFP
Éder Militão’s transfer from FC Porto to Real Madrid is being investigated
Businessman Ulisses Jorge, suspected of managing PCC money laundering schemes, tried to invest in several Portuguese clubs and represented players who played in national football.
In recent months, businesspeople linked to Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), one of the largest criminal organizations in Latin America, have attempted to acquire stakes in Portuguese clubs.
According to Público, Brazilian agent Ulisses de Souza Jorge, appointed as an intermediary in money laundering schemes from the PCC, led negotiations with clubs such as Varzim, Vilaverdense, Felgueiras and Fafe.
Ulisses Jorge’s name came up in investigations in Brazil, driven by a plea bargain from businessman Antônio Vinicius Gritzbach, responsible for laundering money for the PCC.
Gritzbach provided evidence indicating the use of player transfers as a mechanism to launder money and cited the involvement of agents such as Danilo Lima de Oliveira, known as “Tripa”, who had connections with Ulisses Jorge’s companies. Among the suspicious transactions is player transfer Emerson Royal to Barcelona in 2021, for 14 million euros.
The investigation in Brazil is led by prosecutor Lincoln Gakiya, who confirmed the allegations to Público. However, Gritzbach was murdered at the beginning of November 2024, after cooperating with the courts.
Negotiations with Varzim, Felgueiras and Fafe
Ulisses Jorge tried to enter Varzim’s capital through the creation of the club’s SAD, negotiating directly with the old management. The initial agreement included a loan of 650 thousand euros and a total investment of 4.5 million euros. The amounts were transferred by several companies linked to the businessman and part of the amount, around R$250 thousand, was delivered in cash, violating Portuguese law.
However, negotiations at Varzim fell apart after the general assembly that would approve the creation of SAD was canceled due to doubts about the transparency of the process. THE agreement was terminatedbut Varzim still owes investors 1.26 million euros.
After the failure at Varzim, businessmen turned to other clubs. In the case of Felgueiras, they offered 2.5 million euros for the majority of SAD’s capital, but the deal did not go through. At the moment, operate in Fafealthough still without formal participation in the club.
In addition to Ulisses Jorge, another name that appears linked to the negotiations is that of Christiano Lino de Menezes. Menezes was imprisoned in Brazil, accused of international cocaine trafficking, but was recently released and moved to Portugal.
Público also says that several transfers of Brazilian players to Portuguese clubs have been used to launder money from crime. THE transfer of Éder Militão from FC Porto to Real Madrid, for 50 million euros, is being investigated, as Ulisses Jorge was the player’s agent.
Portuguese and Brazilian authorities continue to investigate financial movements and connections with the PCC. However, the silence of the club directors involved in the negotiations hampers the progress of the investigations.
These revelations come after São Paulo police issued a warning about the PCC’s growing focus on Portugal as entry gate to Europe. Authorities from São Paulo point out that the PCC’s operation in Portugal is facilitated by links with local drug traffickers, who act as “soldiers” in legal businesses controlled by the organization.
