Sporting 'expect money' for players after Rui Patricio joins Wolves

Portugal World Cup goalkeeper Patricio signed for the Premier League new boys yesterday on a four-year deal.

The 30-year-old has technically joined Wolves on a free transfer. He had spent his entire career at Sporting but cancelled his own contract in response to an attack by 50 of the club's own supporters when the team failed to qualify for the Champions League at the end of last season.

For their part Wolves have total confidence of no wrongdoing in signing Patricio and are prepared for the fact they may have to pay compensation to Sporting via a tribunal, although any potential fee is likely to be nowhere near the rumoured £18m Sporting wanted for the player before he resigned from the club.

Sporting today released a statement on the increasingly complex issue. Nine players have now terminated their own deals including fellow Portuguese internationals William Carvalho, Gelson Martins and Bruno Fernandes.

The Portuguese club say that if the players are all allowed to leave for free it could threaten the very future of the club.

They confirmed they are taking legal action against the players who have resigned.

A statement said: "It is expected that such terminations...will result in a sharp decrease in personnel expenses, and in addition, the board of directors considers the contractual terminations presented by the players to be illegal, due to the lack of a fair cause, so it will seek to hold those players and the clubs with which they sign a contract of employment for the damages and losses suffered, with the expectation of being accordingly duly reimbursed."

Sporting auditor PWC estimates that the exits of the nine players has an impact of €16.5m in assets, or six per cent of the club's total assets.

Players had written to the club citing 'just cause' to exit their contracts following the attack at Sporting's training ground on May 15.

Controversial Sporting president Bruno de Carvalho said today on the players terminating their deals "This has only one reason and it's not down to what happened at the training complex or the nightmares. It's money."

Midfielder Rodrigo Battaglia, one of the latest to resign, said of his decision: "I have come to the conclusion that it will be impossible for me to return to the club."

"There is lack of guarantees for and a dereliction of duty of protecting my personal safety and integrity."