Investigation points to manipulation of the result of the Goiano Championship game for betting, says TV – 05/13/2023 – Sport

The Goiás Public Prosecutor’s Office found evidence of match-fixing in a state championship game played this year, during the unfolding of the Maximum Penalty operation, which investigates sports betting in Brazil.

According to a report shown by Jornal Nacional, from TV Globo, this Friday (12), the suspect would have occurred in the match between Goiás and Goiânia, for the Goiano Championship, on February 12.

According to the broadcaster, proof of bank deposits and bets, in addition to transcripts of conversations through messaging applications, show that there would have been an arrangement for Goiânia to end the first half losing the game.

According to the investigation, Bruno Lopez, a football agent who is appointed by the MP as leader of the group, would have intermediated contact with a player who has good access to athletes who work in the state of Goiás to make the scheme with some Goiânia players in this match. .

Still according to JN, the defensive line players of Goiânia would have received R$ 10 thousand each for the result. The first half ended with a 2-0 victory for Goiás — the final result of the game.

Bruno Lopez had already been arrested in February, during the first stage of the operation, but was released after a habeas corpus. The report sought the agent’s defense, but did not receive a response until the publication of this report.

This was the first game pointed out by the MP with suspicion of manipulation of the result for betting. Until then, the matches under investigation pointed to the receipt of yellow and red cards and penalty kicks and corner kicks.

So far, two stages of Operation Maximum Penalty have been launched. The first, in February, aimed at Serie B duels of the 2022 Brazilian Championship. In the second, in April, the scope grew to include Serie A disputes and some state tournaments.

A gang was pointed out by the MP-GO, and the Justice accepted the denunciations, transforming more than 20 people into defendants, among recruiters and players. Some of these athletes were removed by their clubs.

For now, the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) rules out the stoppage of the Brazilian Series A and B. However, he fears that the investigations involve more and more players and become more serious, reaching the referees, which has not yet appeared in the investigations.