Rui Patricio: How a gang of masked ultras may have saved Wolves millions

Rui Patricio, Portugal’s highly-rated number one, looked all set to join Wolves at the start of the month in a deal said to be worth £18 million.

Even at 30 years of age, the big money signing looked like good business for the Molineux club, considering the stopper’s wealth of top level experience and his sterling reputation in the world game.

But, just weeks later, Wolves managed to sign Patricio, who is playing for his country in the World Cup, from Sporting Lisbon... on a free transfer.

In doing so they appear to have taken advantage of one of the most bizarre series of events to hit European football in decades.

It involves a vicious training ground attack by masked thugs on Sporting players and staff, the aftermath of which has seen nine players terminate their contracts and the future of the club thrown into doubt.

It has also seen a deepening row between Patricio’s agent Jorge Mendes – who has close links to Wolves owners Fosun – and Sporting’s president Bruno de Carvalho.

Flashback to May 15, two days after Sporting’s defeat at minnows Maritimo in their final league game of the campaign condemned them to spending next season without Champions League football.

The squad was gathered at the club’s Alcochete training centre preparing for the upcoming Cup final against Desportivo Aves, a chance to follow up January’s League Cup win with more silverware in a season marred by off-field controversy.

Then all hell broke loose.

A group of 50 masked ‘ultras’ armed with sticks and belts smashed their way into the training complex and attacked players and staff in the dressing room.

Dutchman Bas Dost – the club’s top scorer two seasons in a row – was left with large cuts to his head. According to reports, Patricio, head coach Jorge Jesus, and midfielder William Carvalho were also targeted.

The incident sent shockwaves through the football world and Portuguese society, prompting Prime Minister Antonio Costa to announce the creation of a national body to combat violence in sport.

Bruno de Carvalho’s response?

“It was annoying, but tomorrow is a new day,” he said. “We have to realise that crime is part of everyday life and that it needs to be punished in the right place, at the right time.”

In a later rant at a press conference he appeared to suggest that the players had been indirectly responsible for the incident by standing up to the ultras.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, a dispirited Sporting side lost the final, but the repercussions have run far deeper than the loss of a trophy.

Several Sporting players, including Dost, Patricio and his fellow Portugal squad members William Carvalho, Gelson Martins and Bruno Fernandes, have cancelled their contracts, citing ‘just cause’ in relation to the training ground incident.

As a result Patricio, who is part of the Gestifute agency led by Jorge Mendes, has made the move to Molineux without Wolves paying a penny in transfer fees.

Although Bruno de Carvalho has started legal proceedings, Wolves are confident they have not broken any rules.

And even if the deal goes before a Fifa tribunal, Wolves are unlikely to have to pay anything close to the original asking fee.

Needless to say, conspiracy theorists are having a field day. One school of thought alleges Bruno de Carvalho – who allegedly was once a member of an ultras group – orchestrated the training ground attack, an accusation which has been denied.

There is no doubt he has been furious with another season of underachievement.

In April he threatened to suspend the entire first team squad after their Europa League loss to Atletico Madrid.

But would he really sign off on such a barbaric attack on his own players?

It is notable that the Sporting president’s relationship with Jorge Mendes has become increasingly strained.

Last month he accused Mendes of ‘blackmail’, alleging he had demanded a €3m cut of the transfer fee as part of the Patricio deal.

The outburst prompted Gestifute – of which Wolves owner Fosun has a 25 per cent stake – to issue a statement denying the claim.

They insist de Carvalho had scuppered the original deal by adding an extra €2m to the asking price at the last minute.

While the rows rage on, Sporting players continue to flee the nest (manager Jorge Jesus has also bailed) and de Carvalho prepares to fight for his position.

Meanwhile, Wolves appear to have landed one of the world’s best goalkeepers... for nothing.