John Textor, owner of Botafogo, in a secret meeting with CPI das Apostas members, delivered documentation that supports his allegations of alleged manipulation of games in Brazilian football.
Two specific situations involving the performance of VAR in Palmeiras matches caught the attention of the senators.
The first situation involves an offside against Vasco, which led to the cancellation of a goal by Paulinho against the São Paulo team. Although there is no doubt about the lines drawn at the origin of the move, the VAR’s action was considered outside the protocol.
The second situation is the expulsion of defender Adryelson during Palmeiras’ 4-3 victory over Botafogo, in a turnaround at the Nilton Santos Stadium.
What was surprising in this case was that the VAR booth did not show the field referee all the angles, especially the image that shows that the defender touched the ball first.
In private meetings, senators informed Textor that he cannot treat the material presented as evidence, but rather as accusations of manipulation.
Good Games, the company responsible for the report that analyzes the behavior of athletes and referees. The company confirmed to CPI members that it does not cross-reference information with other data. Therefore, the material presented by Textor would only be a starting point.
However, Senator Jorge Kajuru, president of the CPI, has already stated that the evidence presented by Textor is “very important” and that the commission will investigate them thoroughly.
Developments of the Betting CPI
The Betting CPI has generated a lot of discussion and debate. The president of Palmeiras, Leila Pereira, initially reluctant, agreed to give a statement to the senators of the CPI for the Manipulation of Games and Sports Betting.
Last week, Julio Casares, president of São Paulo, responded to parliamentarians’ questions. He informed that he is unaware of any manipulation scheme involving players on his team.
This is because Textor claims that athletes from Tricolor Paulista would have “facilitated” the 5-0 defeat they suffered in a game against Palmeiras in the 2023 Brasileirão. Therefore, Casares said that São Paulo should take legal action against the owner of Botafogo.