13th May 2025
Andalusia News Barcelona News Catalonia News Madrid News Main News

Relatives of young Brazilian footballers scammed in Spain with promise of stardom

The Spanish National Police said on Tuesday that they have uncovered two rings which allegedly scammed dozens of families, mainly from Brazil, with false promises of turning their sons into elite footballers.

11 people have been arrested from two independent gangs, along with two others investigated, as alleged members of both organisations.

The investigations into ‘Operation Gol’ and ‘Alevines’ were carried out by agents of the Immigration and Border Brigade of the national police.

The two gangs ran football schools that recruited youths from well-off families abroad with ‘false expectations’ of turning them into ‘star professional players’, the police said in a statement.

The rings – which operated independently – would charge the families an initial fee of over €5,000 and then monthly payments of up to €1,700 per player, it added.

The gangs claimed the money was to cover tuition fees at the schools in the southern city of Granada (Andalusia), as well as food, housing and the paperwork to get a residency permit.

But instead, the youths ‘lived in houses provided by the clubs in cramped conditions, with little food and none of them managed to get legal residency’ in Spain, the statement said.

Police suspect the two gangs recruited around 70 youths, ‘mainly Brazilian’, between the ages of 16 and 23.

Police began their investigation after receiving a complaint from a player who had been recruited by one of the rings.

 

Library image / Unsplash.

Sign up for the FREE Weekly Newsletter from Spain in English.

Please support Spain in English with a donation.

Click here to get your business activity or services listed on our DIRECTORY.

Click here for further details on how to ADVERTISE with us.

 

Recent Posts

Barcelona court investigates two ship captains over alleged role in arms shipments to Israel

News Desk

British couple die after Ferrari plunges into river in northern Spain

News Desk

Barça move to brink of La Liga title after beating Real Madrid 4-3 in ‘Clásico’ thriller

Sports Desk

Alcampo to close 25 stores in Spain with the loss of 710 jobs across 13 regions

News Desk

Thousands in Catalonia instructed to stay indoors for 7 hours due to toxic fumes

News Desk

Cardinal Robert Prevost, 69, elected as first American pope, to be Pope Leo XIV

News Desk

Leave a Comment