Striker Cristiano Ronaldo’s wish to win the 2023/24 AFC Champions League title has gone up in smoke. Despite his best efforts, Ronaldo could not help Al Nassr defeat Al Ain in the quarterfinals of this season’s AFC Champions League. Not only facing failure on the field, the star who won the Golden Ball title five times is also facing trouble behind the scenes.
According to information published in a recent issue of A Bola newspaper, Goncalo Salgado, Ronaldo’s bodyguard, is currently being investigated by Brazilian police for alleged money laundering. Goncalo is originally an MMA (mixed martial arts) fighter, has a tall physique with a height of 1m90 and weight of 140kg. Goncalo often “destroys” his opponents with extremely dangerous attacks every time he competes.
Goncalo competed in the X-Impact World Cup in 2007. Worth mentioning, Salgado won the first 5 matches consecutively and only suffered defeat at the hands of boxer Zhao Zilong. Goncalo also competed in many countries such as Italy, Korea, Belgium, and Switzerland before announcing his retirement in 2014. Also because of his impressive boxing achievements, Goncalo had the opportunity to become Ronaldo’s bodyguard.
In addition to being a bodyguard for the striker currently playing for Al Nassr Club, Goncalo Salgado is also the CEO of a security services company called Anthea. However, Goncalo is being accused of tax fraud and money laundering in a case related to the racehorse business in Brazil.
According to Brazilian prosecutor’s records, Goncalo and a number of partners invested in the purebred Lusitanian horse breed, one of the most valuable horse breeds in the world. More specifically, a purebred Lusitanian horse has a starting price between 7,000 and 11,000 euros. And if it is a horse that has won races, such as the Olympics, its price can reach millions of euros.
During the investigation, prosecutors suspected the origin of the money from some investors. There is even information that Ronaldo’s bodyguard’s investment in the Lusitanian purebred horse breed is just a front for money laundering activities. That’s why Goncalo was targeted by Brazilian police.
Ronaldo himself was also criticized by his bodyguard. Because Brazilian authorities do not rule out the possibility of summoning Ronaldo as a witness in the case related to Goncalo. Faced with this noise, Ronaldo’s representative affirmed that the Portuguese star is willing to cooperate with the Brazilian side to clarify the matter. With what’s going on, Ronaldo will more or less encounter unnecessary trouble from his trusted bodyguard.
