Madureira denies responsibility in the climate created at FC Porto AG

The former cheerleader Super Dragons denied responsibility in the climate created around the FC Porto General Assembly (AG) in November 2023. By making statements on the Praetorian Operation Judgment, Fernando Madureira reiterated criticism of supporters of André Villas-Boas.

The 12 defendants of Operation Praetorian, including the former leader of the Super Dragons and his wife, Sandra Madureira, began to answer for 19 crimes at the São João Novo Court in Porto. The session had a strong police apparatus nearby.

At issue are 19 crimes of coercion and aggravated threat, seven offense to physical integrity in the scope of sports spectacle, one of public instigation to a crime, another of throwing objects or liquid products and three of the freedom of information. At issue is the unfolding of a general meeting of FC Porto in November 2023.

The issue of entry into the enclosure, and accreditation, dominated much of the questions in the afternoon, in which the prosecutor confronted Madureira with messages regarding a massive presence of supporters of Pinto da Costa.

Whatsapp groups, one with about 300 people and affection for super dragons, overall, and another with nuclei leaders, were outbreaks of discussion.

The former cheerleader stated that he does not « send to people » or decide how they will vote or behave-because he said he was unaware of the statutes of FC Porto or the changes that would then be voted, only that Pinto da Costa asked for a vote against « warmer points. »

Madureira later reiterated accusations and hints on supporters of André Villas-Boas, then putative candidate for the presidency of dragons, who would win the following year.

For the defendant, the club's security and marketing directors, responsible for organizing the general assembly, and SPDE continues to provide security services to the club, “and the others, all that was Pinto da Costa” were fired.

The Super Dragons themselves, otherwise they kept the existing protocol with the club, and for Fernando Madureira, “that Ag was the ray for him to launch the campaign,” as he had already defended in the morning.

Moreover, and already inquired by the defense, he kept that he felt « sad and offended » with offenses to Pinto da Costa, who died on February 15 this year, and that a more 'lit' reaction, violent, « probably » was born of it.

In the morning, Madureira, quoted by the Lusa agency, confessed to “mobilizing the super dragons to support Pinto da Costa” in the AG, denying any incitement to violence, insults or the orchestration of intimidation, as well as responsibility in the created climate.

The prosecution is based on an alleged attempted super dragons to “create a climate of intimidation and fear” at a FC Porto General Assembly in November 2023, to approve a statutory review “of the club's interest”, then led by Pinto da Costa, who died on February 15.