In addition to being banned, the 21-year-old athlete will have to pay a fine of R$ 25,000 (US$ 5,000). The judgment, which was conducted by the 1st Disciplinary Commission of the Court, had Miguel Ângelo Cançado as auditor-rapporteur.
Judged in the same case, former Vila Nova midfielder Gabriel Domingos was suspended for 720 days and fined R$ 15,000 (US$ 3,000). Both players had their contracts broken by the club from Goiás.
According to Miguel Cançado, as well as sporting punishments, the financial penalties imposed by the STJD are mandatory after becoming final.
The two athletes can still appeal the decision after the publication of the ruling, which should take place this Tuesday (30).
"The penalty imposed on Romário is more serious because, in addition to accepting to participate in the scheme, he tried to involve other athletes, like Gabriel Domingos himself,” the auditor of the 1st Disciplinary Commission of the Court told media Folha.
Romário was convicted under Articles 242, 191, 243 and 243-A of the Brazilian Code of Sports Justice. Gabriel Domingos was included in article 243-A.
To Folha, the president of Vila Nova, Major Hugo Jorge Bravo, of the Military Police of Goiás, said that the case deserved a "harsh and exemplary" punishment, but questions whether banishment is the best way.
"I understand the gravity of the matter, but in a country where even the President of the Republic had a second chance, I don't know if banning the athlete would be the most correct measure", said Bravo. "I think that a punishment of years out of football would be a fairer alternative. However, I cannot fail to emphasize that due to the importance of football, due to the seriousness of the issue, something hard and exemplary is needed," he added.
Although athletes can appeal, the penalties are effective immediately. In the case of fines, according to lawyer Eduardo Carlezzo, specialist in sports law, based on the assumption that the banishment penalty will be definitive, if the player does not pay, there will be nothing more to be done against him in the sporting sphere, as it will have already been expelled from the football system.
"Thus, the matter should migrate to the judiciary in order to start the civil collection of the debt," he explains.
The main actors of the scheme
The bettors: headed by Bruno Lopez de Moura, there were five people who placed the bets – following what was agreed with the players – and collected the winnings.
The investors: led by Thiago Chambó Andrade, there were three members who funded the scheme.
The intermediaries: they were responsible for finding and co-opting the players.
US$ 30,000 for a penalty
The Maximum Penalty Operation began in November 2022, after the Public Ministry was sought by the president of Vila Nova, who wanted to report one of the cases.
The first phase was triggered in February, and the second in April. It was found that the group that recruited athletes played in state games in 2023 and in the Brazilian Championship in 2022, including in the first division. So far, there is no evidence to indicate that the elite of this year's nationals were targeted.
To the report, the representative of the Goiás team said that, upon learning that midfielder Romário had received an offer of R$ 150,000 (US$ 30,000) to commit a penalty in a 2022 Series B match, he began to gather evidence.
The experience of 13 years as a police officer helped him at that moment. When he gathered elements that he thought were sufficient, he filed a complaint with the Public Ministry. That's what triggered the first phase of the operation.
"There's a feeling of disappointment. The guy can earn well and do that. Character is not associated with sex, race, social condition. Character is something you have or you don't have. It's something that puts the work of many people in the club, from the manager to the doorman, the cook...," he analyzes.
In a recent interview with GE.com, Romário confirmed that he had received offers from bettors.
"My mistake was having accepted their money. I told them all the time that I wouldn't do it, because I couldn't play. They kept insisting and told me to pass on contacts of other Vila players. That was my participation," he said.
In the case file, more than 50 players were named. Of the 15 denounced, four admitted guilt and entered into a non-criminal prosecution agreement with the Public Prosecutor's Office.
Source: Folha
