November 12 – Flamengo player Bruno Henrique has denied his involvement in match fixing after police raided 12 addresses linked to him.
Following Flamengo’s Copa do Brasil win, Henrique said: “Yes (I am innocent). I got a notification of the investigation in an aggressive way. I didn’t expect it the way it was, but I believe in justice up there. God is a guy who always knows. My life, my trajectory, since I started playing football – God has always been with me. And, man, I’m calm about it. The people who are there in this battle with me, I just ask that justice be done and that we separate what happens off the field from on the field.”
Authorities are investigating the match Flamengo – Santos from the 2023 season. The Flamengo player was booked twice – for a foul and then for protesting the first booking. He was sent off and Flamengo went on to lose the match.
The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) and Sportrader flagged suspicious betting activity with an unusually high volume of bets on Henrique’s red card. If found guilty, Henrique could face up to six years in prison.
In a statement, Flamengo said: “The Clube de Regatas do Flamengo became aware, on this date, of the existence of an investigation, still ongoing, dealing with the possible practice of match-fixing and sports betting.
“The Club has not yet had access to the records of the investigation, since the case runs in secrecy of justice, but it is important to note that, while it will support the authorities, it will give full support to the athlete Bruno Henrique, who enjoys our trust and, like any person, enjoys the presumption of innocence.”
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