Bruno

Bruno Fernandes das Dores de Souza (born 23 December 1984), known as Bruno Fernandes or Goleiro Bruno ('Goalkeeper Bruno'), is a Brazilian convicted murderer and professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

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.

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.

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.

Between 2007 and 2009, he was a trophy-winning goalkeeper at the Brazilian club Flamengo.

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.

For around €3 million, Flamengo sealed a permanent deal with Bruno in 2008, 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.

Bruno scored his second goal on 23 October 2008, in a penalty kick against Coritiba.

He scored his third goal for Flamengo on 4 February 2009, in a free kick, against Mesquita.

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.

In 2010, he was charged with the assault, torture and murder of his extramarital girlfriend and mother of his youngest child.

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.

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.

On 9 June 2010, the athlete's girlfriend, actress and model Eliza Samudio, disappeared.

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.

A 17-year old cousin of Bruno told police that he had taken part in Samudio's abduction with his friend, Luiz Henrique Ferreira Romão.

He also stated that Samudio was dead but did not say how she died, nor where her body was, and that Bruno was the father of her baby, despite him already being married.

Flamengo suspended his contract with the club and their lawyers eventually did not represent him in court anymore.

According to his accomplice Romão, 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.

In 2013, he was found guilty of ordering her murder, hiding the body and kidnapping his baby son, and was sentenced to 22 years in prison, but in February 2017, he was released pending an appeal.

In April 2017, Brazil's Supreme Court ordered his re-arrest.

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.

As a result, three sponsors of the club, CardioCenter, Nutrends Nutrition and Magsul, ended their partnerships with the club.

In July 2019, he was released to serve partial house arrest, being able to work or train in the day, while having to return to his house for the night.

He subsequently joined three football clubs; Poços de Caldas in 2019, Rio Branco Football Club in 2020, and Atlético Carioca in 2021.

In October 2019, Bruno returned to football with the Pocos de Caldas club, playing in a friendly match against Independiente Juruaia; he declared that when "people here in Pocos de Caldas get to know the real Bruno, the human being that he is, then a lot of minds will be changed".

In July 2020, Rio Branco Football Club announced that they had signed Bruno, prompting their club's women's team coach to quit in protest.

Bruno played for Rio Branco in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série D.

Atlético Carioca tried to sign Bruno, initially giving up in March 2021.

In May 2021, Bruno announced his decision to retire from football to become an investor; however, within two weeks, he announced that he had signed with Atlético Carioca.