Tottenham Hotspur forward Richarlison has sparked a major political storm in his native Brazil by accusing presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro of illegally taking possession of his private island off the coast of Rio de Janeiro.
The 29-year-old Brazil international claimed in a video shared on social media that Senator Flávio Bolsonaro—the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro and his associates acquired control of the luxury property without making any financial payment.
According to the player, he acquired the estate between 2020 and 2021, investing roughly 10 million reals (£1.4 million).
Richarlison explained that the dispute arose after he repeatedly refused to sell the property to the politician. “I did not want to sell him the island,” Richarlison stated in the video.
“Since I refused, these people took advantage of the situation in court. Flávio Bolsonaro and this man, Willer Tomaz, went there and took possession of the island in 24 hours. That is where the justice system failed. To my knowledge, they took the island without paying a single penny. I invested about 10 million reals there and I have recovered nothing.”
Richarlison urged Brazil’s Federal Police to open a formal investigation to recover his financial investment, noting that if the funds are recovered, he plans to donate a portion to a hospital in his hometown.
Responding to the allegations on social media, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro dismissed the claims as “fake news”
Richarlison responded directly to the senator’s denial, asking: “And my island?”
The dispute emerges at a sensitive moment in Brazilian politics, as the country prepares for the second round of its presidential election.