The Federal Police launched an operation against the manipulation of games aimed at winning sports bets, this Tuesday morning (5).
The main target is Flamengo striker Bruno Henrique, who is being investigated for forcing two yellow cards and being sent off in the match between Flamengo and Santos, in the 2023 Brazilian Championship.
THE CNN found that, knowing that the player would provoke at least one of the cards, his brother, sister-in-law and cousin created, on the eve of the match, accounts in virtual betting houses and made predictions focusing specifically on the athlete’s punishment, thus obtaining undue gains.
Operation “Spot-fixing” is one of several police operations against the manipulation of football matches in recent years in Brazil.
See some recent actions that combatted the illegal practice:
Operation Maximum Penalty
Carried out by the Public Ministry of Goiás, the action had three phases and resulted in the punishment of 16 football players by the Superior Court of Sports Justice (STJD).
The body investigated interference and/or attempts in results and aspects of games in the 2022 and 2023 Brazilian Championship, in series A and B.
The state championships in Goiás, Paraíba, São Paulo, Mato Grosso and Rio Grande do Sul were also targets of the investigation.
After the MPGO’s complaint, which was accepted by the courts, the STJD punished 16 athletes with major suspensions and fines for manipulating matches.
See the list below.
- Nino Paraíba ( without a club) – punished for 720 days and a fine of R$40,000
- Igor Cariús (Sport) – punished for 540 days and a fine of R$50,000
- Bryan Garcia (Independiente del Valle-EQU) – punished for 360 days and a fine of R$30,000
- Diego Porfírio (Desportiva Aliança-AL) – punished for 360 days and a total fine of R$70 thousand
- Alef Manga (Coritiba) – punished for 360 days and a fine of R$30,000
- Vitor Mendes (Fluminense) – punished for 430 days and a fine of R$40,000
- Sávio (Rio Ave-POR) – punished for 360 days and a fine of R$30,000
- Dadá Belmonte (America) – punished for 720 days and R$70 thousand
- Thonny Anderson (ABC-RN) – was not punished, but received a fine of R$40,000
- Paulo Miranda (no club) – punished for 720 days / fine of R$70,000;
- Moraes (Aparecidense-GO) – punished for 720 days / fine of R$ 55 thousand maintained;
- Gabriel Tota (without club) – elimination and fines maintained;
- Matheus Gomes (no club) – eliminated from football and fined R$10,000;
- Fernando Neto (São Bernardo-SP) – punished for 360 days and a fine of R$ 15 thousand;
- Kevin Lomónaco (Tigre-ARG) – punished for 360 days and a fine of R$25,000;
- Eduardo Bauermann (Everton-CHI) – punished for 360 days and a fine of R$35,000.
However, three athletes were acquitted: Sidcley, Jesús Trindade and Pedrinho. The complaints were made based on three articles of the Brazilian Code of Sports Justice (CBJD): Art. 191, Art. 243 and Art. 243-A.
The three phases of the Maximum Penalty were triggered in February, April and November 2023, respectively.
Operation Fair Play
The football match between the clubs CA Patrocinense (MG) and Inter de Limeira (SP) in the 6th round of the Brazilian Championship in Series D became the target of the Federal Police (PF) for alleged manipulation of results.
The visiting team, Patrocinense, lost 3-0 against Inter, in the game held in the interior of São Paulo, at the Major Levy Sobrinho Stadium, on June 1, 2024, being investigated by the PF for alleged links with sports betting houses, starting point of the investigation.
The investigation began when the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) sent a letter to the PF, via a Sportradar report, which reported that the activity of bookmakers indicated that bettors had prior knowledge that a certain team would lose the first half of the match due to at least two goals.
According to the company, 99% of the turnover attempts in the “first half total goals” market in this match were for this result. In fact, the match had the ending expected by the bets. The Minas Gerais team conceded 3 goals in the first half, one of which was an own goal.
The police found that a certain betting company had signed a partnership with Patrocinense and several players managed by it were hired.
The targets of the operation were members and former members of Patrocinense. According to the PF, the investigation wants to know whether there was influence by these people from the betting company on the result of the match.
This content was originally published in Remember other operations against manipulation of football games on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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