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Sporting CP to miss out on the full proceeds of Joao Mario sale
As Calcio e Finanza points out, Sporting CP made an agreement with several banks in 2014 to solve the financial crisis they’d been facing in the previous campaigns. As part of the deals, the club had to sell part of the economic rights of their players to some investment funds. Sporting CP also agreed to share incomes of future players’ sales with a fund called Holdimo as a guarantee for the recapitalization made in 2014 by Novo Banco and Millenium BCP banks.
These agreements explain why Sporting Lisbon will only earn € 20 million from Joao Mario’s € 45 million sale. The club only owned the 75% of the player’s economic rights; the residual 25% was sold to the entrepreneur Alvaro Sobrinho.
That’s how Joao Mario’s price-tag has been split:
€ 10 million (plus bonuses) to Quality Football Ireland, owners of the 25% of the player’s economic rights.
€ 9 million (plus bonuses) to Novo Banco and Millenium BCP Banks
€ 2 million (plus bonus) to agents and middlemen, including Kia Joorabchain
€ 19 million (plus bonus) to Sporting Lisbon