During this derby match, Rui Mendes (a supporter of Sporting) died on site[5] after he was hit inside the stadium by a very light thrown by Hugo Inácio (a member of the No Name Boys). The death happened just after the first goal of the match, when Benfica's Mauro Airez scored 9 minutes into the game, during the subsequent celebrations of Benfica fans in the stadium.[6] Despite the incident in the stands, the match continued.[5]
Following the death, Sporting paid for Mendes' funeral, and the Portuguese Football Federation, showing solidarity with Mendes' family, gave them a subsidy of around 1,650 escudos, 10 per cent of the gross revenue from the match between the Portugal and the Ukraine national football teams, which took place on 5 October 1996.
Mendes was 36 years old and father of two children.[7] Inácio was sentenced to four years in prison in 1998. After escaping from prison in 2000, he was captured in 2011.[8] According to witnesses, including a former member of No Name Boys, the fatal injuries resulted from a deliberate action to cause bodily harm to members of Juventude Leonina (supporters of Sporting), who were at the opposite end of the stadium.[9] The Portuguese Football Federation was ordered to pay 235,000 euros, instead of the €150,000 initially planned to the relatives of Mendes.[10]
