Police Seize 10 FC Porto Supporter Cards, Name Five in Violence Probe

An unexpected police sweep in northern Portugal has turned the spotlight once again on football-related violence, the multi-million-euro world of luxury goods, and the long-running notoriety of FC Porto’s most vocal supporters’ group.

At a Glance

The Porto branch of the Public Security Police seized 10 supporter cards, identified five criminal suspects, and recovered a haul that included six mobile phones, designer clothing, a bank debit card, and evidence linked to the theft of a €160 000 luxury watch. The operation, which unfolded across a dozen homes from Vila Nova de Gaia to Santa Maria da Feira, traces back to a brutal assault in a shopping-centre food court in September 2023. Among the addresses searched was the house of Fernando “Macaco” Madureira, the best-known face of the Super Dragões fan group and already in custody under Operation Pretoriano. Investigators say the latest action targets aggravated robbery, serious assault, and a suspected investment scam that ended in violence when promised returns never materialised.

Why the Story Resonates Beyond the Stadium

Incidents tied to ultra factions of Portugal’s top clubs routinely ripple far beyond match days. The north-of-Portugal raid adds another chapter to a debate on whether current laws—such as the Anti-Violence in Sport Act—are robust enough to curb organised hooliganism. For residents, the case mixes concerns about everyday safety with questions over how easily a few individuals can tarnish the image of a club followed by millions. The fact that membership cards, not flares or banners, were confiscated underscores how official privileges can be leveraged during criminal activity.

What Investigators Say They Found

Police sources close to the Porto Criminal Investigation Division describe a pattern that began with an alleged investment swindle. Victims who believed they were buying into a lucrative scheme agreed to meet several members of the supporters’ group at Alameda Shopping. Prosecutors contend that the encounter deteriorated into violent beatings, the forcible removal of high-value personal items, and blunt threats. Surveillance footage, testimony, and the recovery of FC Porto membership credentials underpin the current case file. Each card, bearing an individual number and annual fee record, could prove key in establishing how suspects accessed exclusive areas or coordinated movements on match days.

Who Are the Super Dragões?

Founded in the late 1980s, the Super Dragões have long claimed to be the "12th player" for FC Porto, famous for choreographed tifos and intimidating away-day followings. They are also no strangers to courtroom appearances. Leadership figure Fernando Madureira rose from street-level supporter to national headline fixture, celebrated for fervour yet blamed for flare-ups from the Estádio do Dragão to international fixtures. Legal actions ranging from pyrotechnic offences to assault cases have peppered the group’s history, casting a shadow over FC Porto’s broader community efforts and brand image.

Reconstructing the Timeline

Investigators place the genesis of the present file in spring 2023, when would-be investors allege they were promised double-digit returns within weeks. By late summer the money had not reappeared, tempers flared, and a meeting was arranged in early September. Witnesses describe how two men, aged in their early thirties, were ambushed, punched, and stripped of valuables that included a limited-edition Audemars Piguet timepiece. Emergency services treated the victims while detectives gathered forensics from overturned tables and discarded clothing. The breakthrough came when one victim managed to identify a distinctive dragon logo on a jacket later seized in this week’s searches.

Dawn Searches and Seized Evidence

Before sunrise officers executed 12 search warrants across key addresses. Items carted away included the ten club cards, suggesting suspects maintained official access to FC Porto facilities even while under investigation. The operation was synchronised with prison officials to allow a simultaneous search of Madureira’s residence, ensuring that any freshly discovered material could be cross-referenced against evidence from his ongoing Pretoriano file. Sources say laboratory checks are under way to match fibres, fingerprints, and smartphone geolocation logs with the Alameda Shopping crime scene.

Violence in Portuguese Football by the Numbers

While pyrotechnics dominate the national conversation—accounting for more than 5 600 incidents in the last league season—analysts warn of a quieter rise in property damage, threats, and fraud schemes. The most recent Violence in Sport report logged 95 arrests at sporting events in 2024, down from the previous year, yet measures banning individuals from stadiums hit a record 483 active prohibitions. Against that backdrop, the confiscation of member credentials in Porto is rare. Experts say the incident highlights how official perks, not just illegal fireworks, can facilitate wrongdoing.

Legal Path Ahead

The five newly named suspects remain free under obligation to report regularly to authorities while prosecutors weigh charges of aggravated robbery and serious bodily harm—offences that can carry prison sentences of up to 12 years. Defence lawyers are expected to challenge the police narrative, citing what they call "business-deal gone sour" circumstances rather than premeditated violence. FC Porto, which has not yet issued a detailed statement, is likely to face pressure over internal vetting of supporter enrolment. Any club-imposed disciplinary action would run parallel to criminal proceedings, and the governing APCVD could impose stadium bans lasting several seasons.

What to Watch

Judges will decide in the coming weeks whether to advance the case to trial. In the meantime the confiscated membership cards stay in police evidence lockers, and the debate over fan culture, stadium safety, and club accountability continues. For residents of Porto and beyond, the question lingers: can Portugal’s legal and sporting institutions finally draw a clear line between passionate support and criminal enterprise?