Born in Vila Nova de Gaia, Salgado became known as Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa's companion between 2000 and 2006, after he met her while she was working in a brothel, "Calor da Noite", as a part-time job. After the couple split, she published a controversial autobiography titled Eu, Carolina ("I, Carolina", officially ghost written by a long-time friend and high school Portuguese teacher Maria Fernanda Freitas de Sousa – although the latter claims there were substantial changes from the manuscript) in December 2006, presenting some quarters of Portuguese football as a promiscuous world, and revealing details of her relationship with Pinto da Costa. It was alleged by Salgado and widely reported in the news media that Pinto da Costa, who was formally accused in the Apito Dourado (Golden Whistle) sports corruption scandal in June 2007, was tipped off to the investigation by one of his personal friends inside the police department in Porto conducting the investigation, Polícia Judiciária.
Carolina Salgado became known as Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa's companion between 2000 and 2006. She met him while working at a brothel, "Calor da Noite". After they split, she published an autobiography that exposed some of the corrupt aspects of Portuguese football and her relationship with Pinto da Costa.