In April, the MP, through the Special Action Group to Combat Organized Crime (Gaeco) and the Institutional Security and Intelligence Coordination (CSI), launched the second phase of Operation Maximum Penalty — the first stage was carried out in February and only targeted Serie B games. Three arrest warrants, 16 preventive and 20 search and seizure were carried out in 16 municipalities in 20 different Brazilian states, including São Paulo and Rio.
According to what was released by the MP-GO, the proposals reached up to R$ 100,000 (US$ 20,000) for the athletes to fulfill agreements and take cards, collaborate with corner kicks and even commit penalties.
Reported players
-Eduardo Bauermann (Santos)
-Gabriel Tota (ex-Juventude, atualmente no Ypiranga)
-Victor Ramos (ex-Portuguesa, atualmente na Chapecoense)
-Igor Cárius (ex-Cuiabá, atualmente no Sport)
-Paulo Miranda (ex-Juventude, atualmente no Náutico)
-Fernando Neto (ex-Operário, atualmente no São Bernardo)
-Matheus Gomes (Sergipe)
Removed from Santos by the investigation, defender Bauermann is accused of having accepted to receive at least R$ 50,000 (US$ 10,000) to be punished with a yellow card in a game against Avai, on November 5, 2022, for the Brasileirão. After failing to comply with the agreement, on November 10, he accepted a proposal from the same punters to be expelled. The defender, however, received the red card only at the end of the game, which invalidated the deal, as evidenced by text messages with threats to the athlete.
Currently at Ypiranga, midfielder Gabriel Tota is another investigated. The player, who at the time played for Juventude, is accused of transferring R$ 110,000 (US$ 22,000) – R$ 15,000 (US$ 3,000) even before the games - to defender Paulo Miranda, today at Náutico, for receiving yellow cards against Fortaleza and Goiás, on September 17th and November 5th from 2022.
Igor Cárius, from Sport, became a defendant for complaints while playing for Cuiabá. The defender accepted a proposal of R$ 5,000 (US$ 1,000) paid before the game against Ceará, on October 16, 2022, to receive a yellow card. He was also denounced for having repeated the action, this time with the promise of payment of R$ 60,000 (US$ 12,000), on November 6, against Palmeiras.
Fernando Neto, a midfielder who belongs to São Bernardo, became a defendant for accusations when he played for Operário, from Paraná. The player received a proposal to be rewarded R$ 500,000 (US$ 100,000) - R$ 40,000(US$ 8,000) before the game - to be warned with a red card, against Sport, on October 28, 2022, by Série B. Matheus Gomes, Sergipe goalkeeper, became a defendant for initiating the manipulation.
Defender Victor Ramos, from Chapecoense, became a defendant for having agreed to receive R$ 100,000 (US$ 20,000) to commit a penalty, while a Portuguesa player. The investigation accuses the defender of having arranged the act for a game against Guarani, on February 8, 2023, for the Paulista Championship. The punters gave up days beforehand.
Another four players were cited by the MP, but collaborated with the investigations and were not denounced. They are: Onitlasi Moraes Rodrigues Júnior (at the time at Juventude), Kevin Lomónaco (Red Bull Bragantino), Nikolas Santos de Farias (Novo Hamburgo) and Emilton Pedroso Domingues (Inter de Santa Maria).
In addition to the eight athletes denounced and investigated by the MP-GO, other names appear on the 113 pages of the process:
*Sávio, left-back for Goiás at the time
*Vitor Mendes, then a Juventude player and now at Fluminense
*Pedrinho, from Athletico-PR
*Nathan, from Avai
*Nino Paraíba, at the time in Ceará
*Dadá Belmonte, at the time in Goiás
Ban risk: what are the possible punishments?
According to the Brazilian Code of Sports Justice, if the athlete's involvement in result manipulation is proven, he must pay an indemnity clause to his club, in addition to a fine that can reach R$ 100,000 (US$ 20,000), and may face a suspension of 360 to 720 days (one to two years).
There is also a risk that those involved will receive criminal punishment, as explained by PLACAR Mariana Chamelette, lawyer and prosecutor at the São Paulo Football Court of Sports Justice.
“Athletes can be penalized by the Criminal Justice, in view of the articles provided for in the Fan Statute, which criminalize conduct related to the manipulation of results, provided for in articles 41 c, 41 d, 41 e,” says Chamelette. Punishments range from two to six years of imprisonment, in addition to a fine.
Those involved can still be penalized within the scope of state, national and even FIFA entities, which can lead to general exclusion from football.
“The FIFA Code of Ethics itself provides for penalties that reach the limit of banning the sport. Article 30 of FIFA's Code of Ethics expressly provides for the possibility for football's highest governing body to award its disciplinary committee the possibility of penalizing cases of match-fixing," adds Mariana Chamelette, who is also vice-president of the Brazilian Institute of Law Sporty.
Source: Placar
