Sporting Lisbon officials arrested for corruption

Lisbon, May 17: Two officials from Sporting Lisbon were arrested while the club’s players were still reeling from being physically attacked by fans at a training session. The corruption arrests followed a Judicial Police swoop on Sporting Lisbon’s club headquarters in Alvalade here on Wednesday.

According to the Correio da Manha newspaper, the arrests relate to an alleged corruption scheme whereby referees were bribed to favour Sporting Lisbon in handball games.

The newspaper reported that the investigation, code-named “Cashball”, is also looking into underhand payments related to six football matches.

Sporting Lisbon is best known for its football team. But it also has high-profile teams in several other sports, including handball, basketball, indoor football and roller-hockey.

Meanwhile, 23 Sporting Lisbon supporters appeared before the Criminal Court of Barreiro, a town across the River Tagus from Lisbon, accused of assaulting the club’s footballers.

Some 50 people broke into Sporting Lisbon’s training complex in Alcochete, in the Barreiro district, on Tuesday and attacked a number of Sporting Lisbon footballers. The players were preparing for a training session ahead of Portugal’s Cup Final on Sunday in which Sporting Lisbon face Desportivo das Aves. IANS