In a recent development that shocked the world of Brazilian football, John Textor, a prominent figure in the sport, has revealed allegations of match-fixing involving some of the top-flight teams. According to Textor, he holds evidence that players from São Paulo were bribed in a match against Palmeiras, which ended in a staggering 5-0 victory for Palmeiras. Adding gravity to these claims, Textor also disclosed that he possessed a recording of a referee who had allegedly been bribed.
Senator Jorge Kajuru took immediate action in light of these alarming accusations, forwarding them to Andrei Rodrigues, the director of the federal police. Kajuru underscored the urgency by requesting that Textor be summoned by the federal police within 24 hours, urging him to present the evidence he claimed to have.
The gravity of the situation led to the initiation of a Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) aimed at probing into the match-fixing claims permeating Brazilian sport. Kajuru stepped in as the president of the commission, with Senator Eduardo Girão taking on the role of vice-president, and the former football star Romário appointed as the rapporteur.
The CPI is set to hold weekly meetings to delve into various complaints from players, managers, and even betting companies regarding match-fixing. The investigations may lead to requests for bans from football imposed by the courts if any individuals are found guilty of such corruption.
Upon the establishment of the CPI, Textor was called upon to share his findings. He assured that his evidence would be presented in a confidential meeting. The owner of the Botafogo team also clarified that he never implicated Palmeiras directly in the match-fixing acts.
Textor elaborated on the technology he implemented to unravel these undesirable behaviors, which analyzes human actions during matches for abnormalities. In the questionable match between São Paulo and Palmeiras, the technology identified five São Paulo players exhibiting suspicious behavior, with one of them showing eight deficiencies—an occurrence nearly triple the normal rate.
Although Textor did not accuse the Palmeiras players of any misdoing, he held firm to his allegations of a rigged match, citing a gamut of irregularities observed during the game.
He shed light on his consistent efforts since 2017 to detect potential match-fixing activities. Textor pointed to a match between Vasco da Gama and Palmeiras where a poorly positioned VAR camera resulted in an unjustly disallowed goal for Vasco da Gama. Furthermore, he recounted another incident in which a game between Botafogo and Palmeiras saw a Botafogo player unfairly expelled, only for Palmeiras to overturn the game with a 4-3 win.
Romário questioned the application of Textor’s technology on his own Botafogo squad, amidst speculations that Textor might be leveraging these allegations to maneuver a sale of the club. Textor acknowledged using the technology to understand his team’s poor performance in the previous season, but refuted the idea of leveraging the claims for his personal gain.
Senator Kajuru essayed to highlight potential inconsistencies in Textor’s narrative. Despite professing strong evidence of Palmeiras reaping benefits from match-fixing over two seasons in a YouTube video, Textor maintained that he neither accused Palmeiras nor São Paulo of direct involvement in the match-fixing.
Regardless, Textor asserted his stance did not constitute a contradiction, merely emphasizing his belief in Palmeiras’ incidental advantage from the alleged manipulations, without attributing the malpractice directly to them.
Romário also voiced skepticism about the precision of the technology employed by Textor, noting the possibility of it misinterpreting a player’s loss of focus as a deliberate act of corruption.
Textor is confident in the CPI and police’s capacity to enact measures, including potential football bans for implicated parties. São Paulo and Palmeiras, on their part, have announced plans to initiate legal action against Textor for his contentions.
Senator Carlos Portinho underscored the necessity of thorough investigation in unearthing any manipulation, while Senator Veneziano Vital do Rêgo commended Textor’s contributions to the inquiry, which may aid in establishing punitive actions. Senator Girão underscored the societal dangers posed by the gambling industry, urging further scrutiny into CBF’s possible involvement in these match-fixing claims. Textor reported submitting a detailed 70-page report to the CBF detailing his allegations, including suspicions of CBF complicity.
Praising the CPI’s bold efforts, Textor honored their commitment to tackling the issue of match-fixing, an endeavor he deemed unprecedented on a global scale. Textor’s candid involvement in the proceedings earned him commendations from members of the CPI, including senator Vital do Rêgo and Romário, recognizing his bravery in confronting a contentious issue that affects the beloved sport of football in Brazil.
