It is unlikely that Brazil’s request for the arrest and extradition of Boris Berezovsky and his two alleged frontmen will come to much. The three, along with five Brazilians, are accused of using MSI, a London-based sports management company, and Corinthians football club of São Paulo, with which it signed a management agreement in November 2004, as a vehicle for money laundering.

The UK is not expected to extradite Mr Berezovsky, who has asylum status, nor the other two, who are UK citizens. Nor, failing a lifting of the impunity normally enjoyed in Brazil by those who enjoy power, will much happen to the Corinthians managers and their lawyers accused of joining their overseas associates in an alleged criminal organisation.