Portuguese tax officials raid the offices of Benfica

According to reports coming from Portuguese newspapers, tax officials in Portugal have raided the offices of Benfica as part of an investigation into tax evasion not only by the Lisbon club but raids have also happened to head offices of FC Porto, Sporting, Braga, Guimaraes, Maritimo and Portimonense. Police and tax inspectors carried out a series of raids Wednesday morning as part of the operation which has been billed in Portugal as "Offside". The investigation is going back to 2015 and today's raid involved 180 police officers and 101 tax officials. Benfica have confirmed that the raids took place and are fully ready to co-operate with authorities as needed. Portuguese tax officials are said to be combing through transfers of players as prosecutors look for any proof that money was hidden which could lead to charges that include tax fraud and money laundering.