Textor gives a statement to the police and says he presented evidence of manipulations in football – 04/03/2024 – Sport

American businessman John Textor, owner of SAF do Botafogo, gave a statement this Thursday (3) at the Police City, in Rio Janeiro, about his accusations of manipulating results in football matches in the Brazilian Championship.

Accompanied by three lawyers, he spoke to the agents for around three hours. The Civil Police, through the Consumer Police, opened an investigation, following a statement from the MP-RJ. The case is being processed by the GTT Desporto (Temporary Thematic Group).

In an interview with TV Globo upon arriving at the Nilton Santos stadium, where Botafogo also debuted this Wednesday in the Libertadores, Textor stated that he presented proof of his accusations.

“I went to the police station, started the process, handed over evidence, gave my statement. I have much more evidence than a Good Game report,” he told the station. “It’s a wonderful day. I spoke to independent and reasonable investigators who didn’t seem to be rooting for any club. It’s a lot of information, months of data collection. It’s very much the beginning of a very healthy process,” he added.

Good Game mentioned by the businessman is a French company that has been analyzing Brazilian Championship games through the use of artificial intelligence, a tool advocated by Textor.

The owner of SAF do Botafogo also criticized the STJD (Superior Court of Sports Justice), which denounced him for his statements and demanded the presentation of evidence, which has not yet occurred.

Also this Wednesday, the court gave him three days to present the evidence he says he has against players from Fortaleza and São Paulo who, according to him, were involved in manipulating results.

“I handed over complete evidence of match-fixing weeks ago. The names have been withheld to protect the identity of the players involved. I care about the law. If someone is involved in a match-fixing scandal, that person also has rights. I can’t understand how the STJD, which has non-confidential processes, continues to ask for evidence”, said the businessman.