The story of Bruno Fernandes de Souza, the former Flamengo goalkeeper, is well known
in Brazil.
The man once tipped to be between the sticks on home soil for Brazil at the 2014 World
Cup and the dar-ling of the biggest fan base in the country has since swapped the pitch
for prison.
He was convicted of murdering his former lover and mother of his son Bruninho, and sentenced
to a 22-year jail sentence for his part in her disappearance and death.
The body of Eliza Samudio has never been found.
Now, following two failed attempts, the former no.
1 is making another try at a career in the game.
The issue has generated fierce debate in Brazil: should someone convicted of a crime of such
brutality be allowed to walk back to a position which could see them become an idol to young
children across the country?
Bruno’s name used to ring round the terraces of the Maracanã, for the biggest club in
the most iconic stadium in the country.
Alongside Adriano, the former Inter Milan and Brazil striker, he was an integral part
of the 2009 Brazilian league title win, which catapulted him to prominence and prompted
familiar questions.
When would he play for the national side and which major European side would sign him?
He wasn’t just the goalkeeper.
He was the captain.
The idol.
The hero.
But a short-lived romance with model Eliza Samudio ultimately derailed a promising career.
For Sam-udio, it would be fatal.
She fell pregnant during their brief affair, much to the anger of the football player,
who had two young daughters with then-wife Dayanne.
Alongside best friend Macarrão, in October 2009, Bruno assaulted his former lover, taking
her back to his apartment where she was forced to take abortion pills and what Samudio later
described as “a bitter liquid”.
The attempt at a forced abortion failed, and Bruno’s third child was born in early 2010.
Eliza’s efforts to force Bruno to recognise the paternity and assume his financial responsibilities
set an evil plan in motion.
In late May 2010, while the Brazilian league was on hiatus for that year’s World Cup
in South Africa, Bruno had Samudio taken to his farm in the city of Esmeraldas, Minas
Gerais, along with her four-month old son, Bruninho.
She would stay there until 4 June.
On that evening, Eliza was driven by Macarrao to Rua Araruama, in the Belo Horizonte neighbourhood
of Santa Clara, supposedly to a flat she was to be given by the goalkeeper.
Once there, she was tied up and strangled by professional hitman Marcos Aparecido dos
Santos, known as “Bola”.
In 2013, the athlete was convicted for his part in the death of his son’s mother.
Yet in 2020, just seven years later, a concrete offer is on the table for the stopper to resume
his football career.
Bruno has been serving a semi-open home programme since July 2019, which grants him the right
to work during the day, but at night he must be at his registered residence by 8.00pm until
6.00am.
In addition, he is to make a monthly court appearance to justify his activities.
Operario de Varzea Grande ply their trade in the first division of the Mato Grosso State
Championship.
The city of Varzea Grande is the second biggest in the state and the club, founded in 1949,
has won 12 regional titles throughout its history.
Over recent years, the side has been losing ground to rising outfits Cuiaba and Luverdense.
The signing of Bruno is seen as a way to help the club return to the top of their state
football pyramid.
But unlike his salary at Flamengo, which was counted in the hundreds of thousands of reais
per month, the player is expected to be earning between 4 and 6,000, typical of a club in
the fourth tier.
At least two other sides showed interest in signing Bruno – Tupi, from the state of
Minas Gerais, and Fluminense de Feira in Bahia.
Like Operario, it was hoped the acquisition of Bruno would bring the club much needed
publicity.
The athlete has made two previous attempts to return to football.
In 2017 and with Boa Esporte, images of Bruno signing autographs for young children and
fans caused a revolt among the club’s support.
Brazil, it turned out, was not ready to forget his role in the death of a young woman quite
so quickly.
From a legal perspective, Bruno is entitled to return to work.
The granting of that semi-open prison domestic regime is aimed at social reintegration, with
the played deemed to have served “a necessary amount of time in a closed regime”.
The change grants Bruno the right both to procure a full-time job and reside at home
with his second wife and youngest child.
The idea being to give the offender the best possible chance at rehabilitation.
As Bruno has always worked as a footballer, he has been given dispensation to pursue this
path within the parameters established by the Minas Gerais Supreme Court.
For him to return between the posts, his new club will need to present to the court a contract
as well as their travel schedule for the upcoming season.
There is also no precedent in the Brazilian Code of Sporting Justice for banning a player
due to a previous criminal conviction.
But there is – quite obviously - a moral perspective at play.
His crime was heinous.
Is he a suitable role model for children?
At Boa Esporte he played just five times before the Supreme Federal Court ordered him back
to prison.
His second foray was even shorter - in October 2019 he lasted just 48 minutes with Poços
de Caldas FC.
The club does not participate in official tournaments and as such could not present
to the court a suitable work schedule for the player.
Now Bruno is making a third attempt to return to the life that helped make his name, that
turned him into the finest goalkeeper in Brazil's domestic league a decade ago.