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 had penalties, but no penalties occurred in the Vila Nova match, because the player who initially received R$10,000 to commit the penalty did not play the match.[2]
On 18 April 2023, a second phase of the operation was launched, named Operação Penalidade Máxima II. It was also carried out by the Public Ministry of Goiás (MPGO), through the Special Action Group to Combat Organized Crime (Gaeco) and the Coordination of Institutional Security and Intelligence (CSI).[3] The action aims to obtain new evidence on the manipulation of results of professional football matches – including the 2022 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. According to the MPGO, there are suspicions that the criminal group has actually acted in at least five games, as well as in five state championship matches, including the state championships in Goiás, Rio Grande do Sul, Mato Grosso and São Paulo, all in the year 2023.
Suspects involved
At the start of the second phase, 16 people were involved in the investigations.[4] This number increased after new outcomes, on 10 May.[5]
On 26 May 2023, two more players became witnesses after reaching an agreement with the Public Ministry: Diego Porfírio (at the time at Coritiba) and Nino Paraíba (at the time at Ceará).[9]
Players
The following players had the complaint of manipulation accepted by the Public Ministry:[6]
On 29 May 2023, the Superior Tribunal de Justiça Desportiva [pt] (STJD) banned Romário permanently from football, aside from receiving a R$ 25,000 fine, while his former teammate Gabriel Domingos was banned for 720 days and received a R$ 15,000 fine; both became the first players to be judged in the investigation.[27] On 1 June, the STJD punished the players involved in the second stage of the investigations, in first instance:[28]
Moraes was banned from football for 760 days, plus a R$ 55,000 fine;
Gabriel Tota was banned from football permanently, plus a R$ 30,000 fine;
Paulo Miranda was banned from football for 1,000 days, plus a R$ 70,000 fine;
Fernando Neto was banned from football for 380 days, plus a R$ 15,000 fine;
Matheus Gomes was banned from football permanently, plus a R$ 10,000 fine;
Kevin Lomónaco was banned from football for 380 days, plus a R$ 25,000 fine.
The decisions later changed on 7 July 2023, with Bauermann being banned from football for 360 days plus a R$ 35,000 fine, Fernando Neto and Lomónaco having their ban reduced on 20 days, Moraes having his ban reduced for 40 days, and Paulo Miranda having his ban reduced for 280 days.[29]