Lucas Veríssimo, a Brazilian centre-back hired by Benfica about a year ago, was very close to being a reinforcement for FC Porto. In the eavesdropping of the so-called ‘Red Card’ process, there are several conversations between businessmen about the possible commission in the business, which ended up falling due to the alleged interference of Pinto da Costa’s son.
“He [Pinto da Costa] won’t pull the rug out from under your child. If you don’t give us the intermediation, I would do it at Benfica», says Bruno Macedo to Giuliano Bertolucci, in a conversation transcribed by Correio da Manhã.
Bruno Macedo tried to put the then Santos player at Benfica in October 2020, at which time Luís Filipe Vieira turned to the loan of French central Jean-Clair Todibo instead of hiring Lucas Veríssimo, who would only be hired later, corresponding to the initial wish of Jorge Jesus, at the time coach of the incarnates.
With the support of Paulo Pitombeira, the player’s agent, Bruno Macedo tried to delay the negotiation between FC Porto and Santos for Lucas Veríssimo, buying time to ‘make up’ Luís Filipe Vieira. He even told him that «the player cannot lose to FC Porto in an electoral campaign».
«We are losing the brokerage commission (…) he [Pinto da Costa] put this Ana with her son [Alexandre Pinto da Costa] to make the proposal. They don’t pay and they still do it. We ask for 1 million and they ask for 650…”
–
