The Disciplinary Council of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) has opened proceedings against 26 players from Portimonense SC, accusing them of illegal sports betting on official FPF matches during last season's Campeonato de Portugal. The players have already been suspended by the club.
Thirteen of the accused placed bets specifically on their own team losing, including Nuno Pereira, a contestant on the reality television show "Big Brother Verão," who played for the club last season. Portimonense, an Algarve-based club, has since dropped down to the district leagues.
How the case was opened
The proceedings were launched following an anonymous complaint. The accused players have until Monday to submit their defense.
Under Article 142 of the FPF's Disciplinary Regulation, penalties for betting on competitions or matches a player is involved in range from a fine to a suspension of between six months and three years. According to the accusation seen by Correio da Manhã, the case has also been reported to Portugal's Attorney General's Office (PGR).
Nuno Pereira and Rodrigo Carvalho
Nuno Pereira placed 1,536 sports bets during the 2025/26 season, 195 of them on Campeonato de Portugal matches and 22 involving his own club. Of those, 18 were bets on Portimonense losing, in some cases in matches in which he was a starter.
Goalkeeper Rodrigo Carvalho is accused of placing 915 bets, including 211 on the Campeonato de Portugal and 32 involving Portimonense, of which 20 were bets on his own team's defeat.
The other players who bet on Portimonense to lose
The remaining 11 players who bet on their own club's defeat were Guilherme Costa, Miguel Costa, Rodrigo Silva, Tiago Reis, Tomás Cintra, Afonso Loja, Alexandre Pimenta, Daniel Almeida, Daniel Cunha, Gonçalo Correia and Gonçalo Gonçalves. In total, 13 players bet on Portimonense losing, three more bet on Portimonense matches without backing a loss, and 20 placed bets on Campeonato de Portugal games generally.
The full list of bets cited in the FPF accusation includes: Abulai Dabo (322 bets, 1 on the Campeonato de Portugal), Diogo Cabral (12), Filipe Vieira (10), Guilherme Costa (37, including 19 on the Campeonato de Portugal and 7 on his own team's defeat), Lukas Oliveira (113, 1 on the Campeonato de Portugal), Martim Coelho (45), Miguel Costa (157, including 47 on the Campeonato de Portugal and 8 on his own team's defeat), Nuno Pereira (1,536, as above), Rodrigo Carvalho (915, as above), Rodrigo Silva (285, including 9 on the Campeonato de Portugal and 3 on his own team's defeat), Samuel Nóbrega (42, 8 on the Campeonato de Portugal), Tiago Reis (150, including 14 on the Campeonato de Portugal and 4 on his own team's defeat), Tomás Cintra (303, including 99 on the Campeonato de Portugal and 7 on his own team's defeat), Toomy Batista (284, 110 on the Campeonato de Portugal), Valter Barros (26, 1 on the Campeonato de Portugal), Afonso Loja (408, including 145 on the Campeonato de Portugal and 4 on his own team's defeat), Alexandre Pimenta (449, including 23 on the Campeonato de Portugal and 5 on his own team's defeat), Daniel Almeida (117, including 90 on the Campeonato de Portugal and 1 on his own team's defeat), Daniel Cunha (543, including 41 on the Campeonato de Portugal and 4 on his own team's defeat), Francisco Costa (65), Gonçalo Correia (550, including 11 on the Campeonato de Portugal and 3 on his own team's defeat), Gonçalo Gonçalves (153, including 29 on the Campeonato de Portugal and 2 on his own team's defeat), Gonçalo Lopes (76, 7 on the Campeonato de Portugal), Ione Dragnev (90), João Cartucho (64, 1 on the Campeonato de Portugal) and Sérgio Semedo (3).
Club's response
Portimonense said it felt "the deepest displeasure, sadness and total repudiation" over the confirmation of facts pointing to a serious violation of sporting regulations by players in its 2025/26 senior squad. The club said it had decided to preventively suspend the players involved until the case is fully clarified.
Possible prison sentences
With the case referred to the PGR, prosecutors are expected to investigate whether match results were manipulated in relation to the bets placed on the Campeonato de Portugal and against Portimonense itself. Article 20 of Portugal's Legal Regime for the Integrity of Sport and the Fight Against Anti-Sporting Conduct sets a prison sentence of up to five years, or a fine, for fraudulent sports betting. Article 21, covering anti-sporting betting more broadly, provides for a prison sentence of up to three years or a fine of up to 360 days.
The Campeonato de Portugal is the fourth tier of the Portuguese football pyramid, sitting below the Liga Portugal 2. The FPF is the governing body responsible for disciplining clubs and players across the country's football competitions.
