According to the rapporteur's plan, the CPI will work on collecting statements and sharing evidence, seeking to identify the criminal structures behind the manipulation of results. The senator informed that he will ask for the sharing of data that the Chamber of Deputies already has on the subject. Romário also said that the commission will seek to identify legislative gaps and propose bills to characterize crimes and prevent their occurrence.
Another objective of the CPI will be to suggest inspection measures to public entities to combat identified crimes. The commission may also propose the indictment of individuals and suggest punishment for companies, if applicable. According to Romário's work plan, the collegiate must work until the month of October.
Based on research by the consulting firm Ernest & Young, Romário said that the football chain generates more than R$57 billion (US$ 10.8bn) a year in the country. According to the senator, football is rooted in the cultural matrix of the Brazilian people. Romário pointed out, however, that the sport also has a dark side, which requires necessary supervision.
He recalled that cases of match-fixing have been growing in recent years, even requiring police operations against those involved. According to Romário, the CPI will work to leave “our main sporting modality free from corruption and manipulation.”
“Football is more than a Brazilian national passion. Its social, political and economic importance goes beyond borders and mobilizes tens of millions of fans. The selection chosen to participate in this CPI is made up of senators determined to discover the rot that exists in our football. Together, we will be able to provide a great response to society,” explained Romário.
The president of the commission, senator Jorge Kajuru (PSB-GO), praised the fact that the members of the CPI are passionate about football. He recalled that Romário was a successful player, and the vice-president of the commission, Eduardo Girão (Novo-CE), was a football team manager. Kajuru himself was a sports journalist for more than three decades.
Kajuru said that the allegations are very serious and involve companies, managers, players and referees. He recalled that a CPI is an oversight instrument for the National Congress.
The senator also said he was aware that the CPI would face obstacles, including the discredit of certain sectors of the press and society. Kajuru stated, however, that he was sure of the support of the fans, entities linked to football and supervisory bodies.
“This CPI, I have no doubt, will make history. To stay in football language, it won't end in zero-zero. At the end of this CPI, Brazil will be better able to confront corruption in football and, thus, maintain the credibility of football, which is one of the country's greatest cultural manifestations. May God enlighten us!”
Requirements
Among the approved requests is one that asks the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) to share “the information received by the entity, coming from the fraud detection systems of the company Sportradar, in relation to the 109 football matches that took place in national territory with suspected of manipulation in the year 2023, according to the company’s own report.” Kajuru is the author of this application.
There are also requests that ask the Public Ministry of Goiás for information about Operation Maximum Penalty and request the Public Ministry of the Federal District for information about Operation End Game. The two operations investigate manipulation of football match results. Senator Romário is the author of both requests. There are also requests for sharing information and requests for the transfer of servers.
Another approved request, authored by Kajuru, invites the president of Vila Nova Futebol Clube, Hugo Jorge Bravo, to speak to the CPI. According to the request, Bravo was the first leader in the country to denounce suspicions of manipulation of results.
Kajuru is also the author of the invitations to the president of São Paulo Futebol Clube, Julio Casares, and the president of Palmeiras, Leila Pereira. According to John Textor's complaint, five São Paulo players had performed less than ideal in a game against Palmeiras in last year's Brazilian Championship. The match ended 5-0 for Palmeiras and represented a turning point in the campaign that would end with the title for the Alviverde team. Palmeiras and São Paulo have already announced their intention to sue Textor.
The Sports Betting CPI was installed last Thursday (11). Created at the request of Senator Romário, the commission is made up of 11 full senators and 7 substitutes, and is expected to last 180 days.
Source: Agência Senado
