Bruno (footballer, born 1984)

Bruno Fernandes das Dores de Souza (born 23 December 1984), known as Bruno, is a Brazilian convicted murderer and professional footballer, who currently plays for Rio Branco.

This name uses Portuguese naming customs: the first or maternal family name is Fernandes and the second or paternal family name is Dores de Souza.
Bruno
Bruno in 2008
Born
Bruno Fernandes das Dores de Souza

(1984-12-23) 23 December 1984
Ribeirão das Neves, Minas Gerais, Brazil
OccupationFootballer
Height1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Criminal statusSemi-open regime
Criminal charge
Penalty22 years' imprisonment
Association football career
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 Rio Branco
Number 1
Youth career
2001 Tombense
2002–2004 Atlético Mineiro
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2002–2006 Atlético Mineiro 59 (0)
2006–2007 Corinthians 0 (0)
2006–2007 → Flamengo (loan) 53 (0)
2008–2010 Flamengo 81 (2)
2017 Boa Esporte 0 (0)
2019 Poços de Caldas 0 (0)
2020– Rio Branco 0 (0)
Total 193 (2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 6 June 2010
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 6 June 2010

In 2010, he was charged with the assault, torture and murder of his extramarital girlfriend and mother of his youngest child.[1] In 2013, he was found guilty of ordering her murder, hiding the body and kidnapping his baby son, and was thus sentenced to a 22-year jail term,[2] but in February 2017 he was released pending an appeal. In April 2017 Brazil's Supreme Court ordered his re-arrest. He was released again on a semi-open prison regime in August 2019.

Club career

Corinthians

In 2006, Bruno was signed by investment fund Media Sports Investments, which has been linked to various transactions with Atlético Mineiro; the deal was speculated to have been worth around € 2 million, plus 15% on a future deal.[3] He went on to sign a contract, until the end of the year, with Corinthians, then a partner of MSI. However, following manager Émerson Leão's continuous refusal to play Bruno over home-grown keeper Marcelo, Bruno became deeply unsatisfied. With no match played for Corinthians, he was loaned out to Flamengo.

Flamengo

At his new side, Bruno arrived in the same week Diego, the first team goalkeeper at the time, suffered an injury. He instantly replaced incumbent Diego as first choice goalkeeper. He made his début in a match against Internacional and then delivered some impressive performances, cementing his starting position between the posts for the rest of the season. In 2007, he became a fan favourite for his great showings, especially on penalties, by making three saves in the Rio de Janeiro State Championship 2007 finals against Botafogo, helping Flamengo become the champions. Throughout the year, it was speculated that Bruno would depart for Europe, with MSI wishing to cash-in on him, and the goalkeeper was linked with Barcelona.[4]

For around €3million, Flamengo sealed a permanent deal with Bruno in 2008,[5] with the player stating his desire to be with the rubro-negro for the foreseeable future. Bruno scored his first professional goal on 23 April 2008, from a free kick, which led the way for a crucial 2–0 victory over Coronel Bolognesi in the Copa Libertadores.[6] Bruno scored his second goal on 23 October 2008, in a penalty kick against Coritiba.[7] He scored his third goal for Flamengo on 4 February 2009, in a free kick, against Mesquita.[8]

After the retirement of Fábio Luciano, in May 2009, Bruno became team captain. On 12 July 2009, Bruno completed, against São Paulo, his 100th match for Flamengo in the Brazilian Série A, the game finished in a 2–2 draw.

His fourth career goal, this time from a free kick, was for Flamengo on 26 May 2010, in a Campeonato Brasileiro match which they lost 2–1 to Fluminense.[9]

In July 2010, Flamengo announced the club had suspended Bruno's contract as a result of the murder investigation and the club lawyer would no longer act in his defence.[10]

Boa Esporte

On 10 March 2017, shortly after leaving prison pending appeal, he signed for Boa Esporte a contract until 2019 and appeared five times before returning to prison.[11] As a result, three sponsors of the club, CardioCenter, Nutrends Nutrition and Magsul, ended their partnerships with the club.[12]

Murder, arrest and imprisonment

On 9 June 2010, the athlete's former mistress, Eliza Samudio, disappeared.[13] While pregnant she had claimed that Bruno was her child's father, which she could prove after her son was born. When he refused to support the child, Samudio had sued Bruno during a time when a lucrative transfer to AC Milan was being negotiated. After Samudio's disappearance, her child turned up with Bruno's wife. In July 2010, a Brazilian judge ordered Bruno's arrest.[14] A 17-year old cousin of Fernandes de Souza told police that he had taken part in Samudio's abduction with his friend, Luiz Henrique Ferreira Romao. He also stated that Samudio was dead but did not say how she died, nor where her body was, and that Fernandes de Souza was the father of her baby despite him being married.[15] Flamengo suspended his contract with the club and their lawyers eventually did not represent him in court anymore. According to his accomplice Romao, Bruno tried to commit suicide twice while in prison waiting for his trial to begin, but the Secretariat of Rio de Janeiro denied that Bruno had done so; it did report that he fainted once due to low blood sugar levels.[16]

In late July, he was formally charged with murder, kidnapping, hiding a body, forming a criminal gang (conspiracy) and corrupting minors.[17] According to police, Bruno's teenage cousin stated that Samudio's body was cut up and some parts were fed to dogs, while other parts were buried under concrete.[18] Bruno confessed to organizing the plot.[12]

The case has led to debate in Brazil concerning misbehavior by professional athletes and growing crime against women.[19] On 8 March 2013, he was sentenced to a 22-year jail term[2] for the assault, torture and murder of his former girlfriend and mother of his youngest child.[1]

Release and re-arrest

In February 2017, after Fernandes had served just six years and seven months in prison,[20] his lawyers filed a petition of habeas corpus because of the slow processing of an appeal request. The petition was granted by the minister of the STF Marco Aurélio Mello and Bruno was released from jail pending an appeal.[21][22][23] After his release, Bruno immediately received a number of contract offers and he accepted that from Boa Esporte Clube.[24] Samudio’s mother's suit demanding Bruno's return to prison because he posed a threat to her grandson was unsuccessful.[12] In a media interview, de Souza said:[25]

What happened, happened. I made a mistake, a serious one, but mistakes happens in life -- I'm not a bad guy. People tried to bury my dreams because of one mistake, but I asked God for forgiveness, so I'm carrying on with my career, dude.

In April 2017, Brazil’s Supreme Court ordered his re-arrest because the defence’s legal team themselves were partly to blame for the delays in his appeal.[26]

Career statistics

Club
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[27]
Club Season League National Cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Atlético Mineiro 2005 Série A 240———240
2006 0020—3050
Total 24020—30290
Flamengo 2006 Série A 170———170
2007 360—8060500
2008 371—8130482
2009 3706020181631
2010 71—90170331
Total 1342602714412114
Career total 1582802704712404

according to combined sources on the Flamengo official website[28] and Flaestatística.[29]

Honours

Club

Flamengo

References
  1. "Brazilian police seeking arrest of Flamengo goalkeeper Bruno Souza". USA Today. Associated Press. 7 July 2010. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
  2. "Brazil's Bruno Fernandes jailed over ex-lover's murder". BBC News. 8 March 2013.
  3. "Atlético-MG confirma venda de Bruno ao Corinthians". Terra Esportes (in Portuguese). 7 August 2006. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  4. "Camisa 1 do Flamengo na mira de clube espanhol". Correio Lageano (in Portuguese). 23 May 2007. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  5. Peixoto, Eduardo (14 December 2007). "Fla anuncia acerto com Bruno". GloboEsporte.com (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 16 December 2007. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  6. "Copa Libertadores: Flamengo beats Coronel Bolognesi 2-0 to win Group 4". CBS Sports. 23 April 2008. Archived from the original on 4 January 2013. Retrieved 4 February 2009.
  7. "Após gol, Bruno admite que foi "no embalo da torcida"" (in Portuguese). Terra. 23 October 2008. Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2009.
  8. "Bruno e Zé Roberto marcam e Flamengo vence Mesquita" (in Portuguese). Estadão. 4 February 2009. Archived from the original on 8 February 2009. Retrieved 4 February 2009.
  9. "Flamengo perde a invencibilidade no Brasileiro. Bruno marca, mas Fla não vira" (in Portuguese). Flamengo.com.br. 26 May 2010. Archived from the original on 28 May 2010. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
  10. "Flamengo vai demitir Bruno por justa causa e processá-lo por perdas e danos" (in Portuguese). O Globo. 16 July 2010. Retrieved 18 July 2010.
  11. "Bruno assina com o Boa Esporte Clube, de Varginha".
  12. Watch, Jonathan (13 March 2017). "Outrage after Brazil football team signs goalkeeper convicted of killing girlfriend". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  13. "Bruno's wife claims to have seen Eliza alive on June 10th". G1. 19 July 2010. Archived from the original on 2 October 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2010.
  14. Rodrigo Viga Gaier, Stuart Grudgings (7 July 2010). "Brazil soccer star arrested over missing girlfriend". Reuters. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  15. "Brazil footballer surrenders in missing woman case". BBC. 8 July 2010. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  16. "Bruno Fernandes Attempts Suicide in Prison". Brazilian Football. October 2010. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
  17. "Brazilian goalkeeper charged with murdering ex-girlfriend". The Daily Telegraph. London. 30 July 2010. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
  18. "Brazil footballer's ex-lover 'was fed to dogs'". BBC. 9 July 2010. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  19. Kelly, Cathal (5 August 2010). "Soccer star charged in brutal murder". Toronto Star. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
  20. "agenciabrasil.etc.com.br". Archived from the original on 25 February 2017. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
  21. "Goleiro Bruno consegue habeas corpus e deve sair do presídio".
  22. "Acompanhado pela esposa, Bruno sai da prisão após receber liminar do STF".
  23. "Murdering Former Flamengo Goalkeeper Released From Prison". plus55. 24 February 2017. Archived from the original on 13 March 2017. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  24. Superesportes (24 February 2017). "Advogado diz que goleiro Bruno quer voltar a jogar e informa já ter recebido contatos".
  25. Hills, David (19 March 2017). "Said & Done: 'I'm carrying on with my career, dude. I'm starting over'". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  26. Brazil goalkeeper guilty of murder back in prison after brief return to football
  27. "Bruno Souza". ogol. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  28. Flamengo official website (in Portuguese)
  29. Flaestatística Archived 1 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine (in Portuguese)
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