The official on Wednesday told Lusa that the trial - which is under the Almada court circuit – will nevertheless take place at the courthouse in the Monsanto Forest Park in Lisbon, for reasons to do with "logistics and security".

According to the same officials, sessions have been scheduled through to April next year, with three per week except in January, when there are to be two per week.

On 1 August the criminal instruction judge in the case, Carlos Delca, ruled that all 44 defendants should face trial on the exact terms of the charge sheet drawn up by public prosecutors led by Cândida Vilar. The decision followed the move by several defendants to request the opening of the instruction phase, in which a judge other than the one that oversaw the investigation must decide whether the case should go to trial and on what terms.

Of the 44 accused, only Nuno Mendes, former leader of the Juventude Leonina claque (club fan group), commonly known as 'Mustafa', is still being held in prison on remand, while another 37 defendants are under house arrest.

Bruno de Carvalho was ordered to report to the authorities every two weeks.

On 15 May 2018, Sporting players and coaching staff were attacked at the club's training ground and academy in Alcochete, in Setúbal district, by a group of hooded self-styled club supporters.

The defendants who are believed to have taken direct part in the assault face charges of terrorism (as defined in Portugal), threat of violence, abduction, harm with violence, possession of a banned weapon and entering a place barred to the public.

Bruno de Carvalho, Mendes and Bruno Jacinto, who at the time was the club’s official liaising with fan groups, are accused, as moral authors, of 40 crimes of serious threat and dozens of other crimes.

Mendes also faces a charge of drug trafficking.