2023 Brazilian football match-fixing scandal

Operação Penalidade Máxima (literally Operation Penalty), is an ongoing Brazilian football match-fixing scandal investigation being performed by the Public Ministry of Goiás.

Overview

On 14 February 2023, a criminal organization that operated to manipulate the results of football matches in Campeonato Brasileiro Série B of the Brazilian Championship was the target of an operation by the Public Ministry of the State of Goiás (MPGO).[1]

The investigation began with three matches from the Série B. All took place in the last round: Vila Nova 0–0 Sport Recife, Criciúma 2–0 Tombense and Sampaio Corrêa 2–1 Londrina. The scheme would have an estimated profit of R$ 2 million, if a penalty kick were committed in all three of them. Two of them there had penalties, but no penalties occurred in the Vila Nova match, because the player who initially received R$10,000 to commit the penalty did not play the match.[2]

On 18 April 2023, a second phase of the operation was launched, named Operação Penalidade Máxima II. It was also carried out by the Public Ministry of Goiás (MPGO), through the Special Action Group to Combat Organized Crime (Gaeco) and the Coordination of Institutional Security and Intelligence (CSI).[3] The action aims to obtain new evidence on the manipulation of results of professional football matches – including the 2022 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. According to the MPGO, there are suspicions that the criminal group has actually acted in at least five games, as well as in five state championship matches, including the state championships in Goiás, Rio Grande do Sul, Mato Grosso and São Paulo, all in the year 2023.

Suspects involved

At the start of the second phase, 16 people were involved in the investigations.[4] This number increased after new outcomes, on 10 May.[5]

Four players admitted their involvement with the match-fixing scandal, and were not indicted: Kevin Lomónaco (Red Bull Bragantino), Moraes (at the time at Juventude), Nikolas Farias (Novo Hamburgo) and Jarro Pedroso (Inter de Santa Maria).[6]

Players

The following players had the complaint of manipulation accepted by the Public Ministry:[6]

Gamblers and members of the criminal organization
  • Bruno Lopez de Moura
  • Ícaro Fernando Calixto dos Santos
  • Luís Felipe Rodrigues de Castro
  • Victor Yamasaki Fernandes
  • Zildo Peixoto Neto
  • Thiago Chambó Andrade
  • Romário Hugo dos Santos
  • William de Oliveira Souza
  • Pedro Gama dos Santos Júnior

See also

References
  1. "Investigação sobre fraudes na Série B apura ligação com estaduais 2023 | Metrópoles". www.metropoles.com (in Brazilian Portuguese). 14 February 2023. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  2. "Veja passo a passo da investigação de manipulação de jogos na Série B | Metrópoles". www.metropoles.com (in Brazilian Portuguese). 15 February 2023. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  3. "Manipulação em jogos do Brasileirão: o que já se sabe sobre a Operação Penalidade Máxima". www.lance.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  4. "O que é a investigação sobre manipulação de resultados que causou afastamento de zagueiro do Santos". ESPN.com (in Portuguese). 9 May 2023. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  5. "Planilha previa pagamentos de até R$ 80 mil e revela novos jogadores citados em esquema de manipulação" (in Brazilian Portuguese). O Globo. 10 May 2023. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  6. "Penalidade Máxima: veja jogadores envolvidos em manipulação e esquema de apostas" (in Brazilian Portuguese). ge. 10 May 2023. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
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