Valentim Loureiro

Valentim dos Santos de Loureiro (born December 24, 1938 in Calde, Viseu) is a Portuguese politician, and former football chairman of Boavista F.C. and "Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Profissional". He has the rank of Major of the Portuguese Army. He was involved in the Apito Dourado corruption sports scandal.

He is mayor of Gondomar municipality in northern Portugal (elected as an independent, after his Social Democratic Party (PSD) withdrew its support due to ongoing legal suits against him), former President of the Portuguese Football League, former chairman of Boavista F.C., and father of his successor, João Loureiro who managed the club from 1997 to 2007. He was also a consul of Guinea-Bissau in Porto, leader of the PSD party in the Porto district, and chairman in Porto Metro state-owned mass transit company. Indeed, he is famous in Portugal for the multiplicity of offices he holds at any one time.

"Apito Dourado" scandal

Valentim Loureiro was investigated by the police and formally accused in the "Apito Dourado" scandal. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3643515.stm Portugal football bosses arrested, BBC News, 20 April, 2004] , accessed December 2006] [ [http://www.cnn.com/2004/SPORT/football/04/20/portugal.probe/index.html Police hold 16 in Portuguese probe, CNN.com, 20 April, 2004] , accessed December 2006] In July 2008 he was found guilty of abuse of power but not guilty of corruption and sentenced to three years, two months of suspended jail time. [ [http://tsf.sapo.pt/paginainicial/Portugal/interior.aspx?content_id=969333 "Valentim condenado a três anos e dois meses de prisão com pena suspensa por abuso de poder"] , TSF Online, 18 July 2008, accessed July 2008 (in Portuguese)]

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