MP investigates manipulation of results in 2022 Brazilian Championship games – 11/28/2023 – Sports

In a new action that investigates possible manipulation of results in football, the Public Ministry of Goiás (MPGO) launched this Tuesday (28) the third phase of the Maximum Penalty operation, which investigates suspected fraud in seven matches, including Championship games Brazilian Championship in 2022 and the state championships of Goiás and Paraíba in 2023.

Among the matches under investigation is the duel between Avaí and Flamengo in the second round of last year’s Brazilian Championship, which ended in a 2-1 victory for the Santa Catarina club. The first goal of the match, in favor of Flamengo, was scored against by defender Wellington Nascimento.

Two matches involving Náutico for the second round of Série B of the 2022 Brazilian Championship, against Sampaio Corrêa and Criciúma, are also in the MP’s sights.

There are still two matches for the 2023 Goiás championship, between Goiânia and Aparecidense; and between Goiás and Goiânia. And two for this year’s Paraíba championship, between Nacional and Auto Sport; and between Sousa and Auto Sport.

Today’s operation is an offshoot of Operations Maximum Penalty 1 and 2, from February and April 2023, respectively, which resulted in three indictments, with 32 people accused of crimes of being part of a criminal organization and corruption in sports.

The MP’s investigation investigates the conduct of a criminal group that aimed to entice professional players by offering financial amounts to carry out events such as punishment with a yellow or red card, penalty or partial score in the match. The practice enabled its members to make profits on sports betting sites.

This Tuesday’s operation aims to execute 10 search and seizure warrants in eight municipalities in five states. The warrants are being served in the municipalities of Goiânia (GO), Bataguassu (MS), Campina Grande (PB), Nilópolis (RJ), Santana do Parnaíba (SP), São Paulo (SP), Volta Redonda (RJ) and Votuporanga ( SP).

The search and seizure warrants were issued by the 2nd State Court for Facts Relating to Offenses Committed by a Criminal Organization and Laundering or Concealment of Rights and Valuables.

As a result of the previous phases of the operation, in May, the STJD (Superior Court of Sports Justice) decided to ban midfielder Marcos Vinicius Alves Barreira, known as Romário, from football, considered one of the pivots of the manipulation scheme.

The player stated that the leaders of the scheme told him that they had players from Cruzeiro, Atlético Mineiro and Avaí on their list of athletes who would have accepted payment to corroborate bets on websites made by the group.

In September, FIFA (International Football Federation) made the punishment of 11 Brazilian players involved in sports betting schemes global. The sanctions, which were determined by the Brazilian Sports Court and were only valid in Brazil itself, came into force in all countries affiliated to the entity.

Three of these athletes were also banned from the sport, Ygor Catatau, Gabriel Tota and Matheus Gomes. The others received hooks ranging from 360 to 720 days. According to the FIFA statement, everyone is currently “prohibited from participating in any type of football-related activity.”

The entity cited article 70 of its disciplinary code, which establishes the worldwide application of local penalties in cases of “serious infractions”. The article precisely cites match manipulation as one of the situations in which national confederations should get in touch to request an extension of the scope of the penalty.

Some of those punished left Brazil and signed with clubs abroad. That’s what defender Eduardo Bauermann, 27, did, who was at Santos and went to play for Alanyaspor. Shortly after FIFA’s announcement, however, the Turkish association announced the termination of the contract, “in accordance with previously established protocol”.