The Marketing director of the Football Federation of Rio de Janeiro (FERJ), Leonardo Ferraz, may be called to attend the sports betting CPI at the Chamber of Deputies, in Brasília.
The information was published by Athos Moura in O Globo’s Panorama Esportivo column, this Tuesday, August 29th.
Deputy Mersinho Lucena (PP/PB) submitted a request for him to be heard because he had been cited in two different sessions “in the context of being aware of proposals between recruiters and players to simulate conduct and influence the results of football betting ”.
According to Lucena, Ferraz was mentioned by Romarinho and Nino Paraíba, two athletes involved in the betting scheme revealed by the Public Ministry of Goiás (MPGO).
These citations to the leader of FERJ took place during the CPI sessions on June 20 and August 23, respectively. The call must be voted on this Wednesday, 30.
Also according to the O Globo column, the parliamentarian explained the request for summons in the application submitted:
“In this sense, the testimony of FERJ’s marketing director, Leonardo Ferraz, is essential to contribute to the advancement of research/investigations and, consequently, elucidation of the dynamics of involvement between players, recruiters and financiers, in the alleged frauds in the result of football matches , the central subject of the fact determined object of work of this Commission”.
In an update of the Column Panorama Esportivo this Wednesday, the Football Federation of Rio de Janeiro forwarded an official statement.
Check the note:
1) When consulted, Mr. Leonardo Ferraz stated that he does not even know these players and that the only relationship with this segment was restricted to commercial contacts with betting companies, interested in sponsorship;
2) Mr Leonardo Ferraz is at the disposal of the CPI das Apostas and is willing to present himself spontaneously to the Commission for any clarification;
3) Leonardo Ferraz held the position of Marketing Director at FERJ until July 5, 2022. In June 2023, he was appointed General Secretary of FERJ;
4) FERJ reinforces that it has focused efforts to protect football from criminals – manipulators and enticers – with intelligence and support actions involving Security bodies, Civil Police, Public Ministry and Criminal and Sports Judiciary. It repudiates any and all illegal acts and maintains a contract with Sportradar, a betting monitoring company for the detection of suspicious data in the matches of its competitions.
5) This year alone, the Football Federation of the State of Rio de Janeiro removed 3 clubs involved from competitions and suspended the registration of all athletes from these clubs.
About the sports betting CPI
The sports betting CPI is chaired by Deputy Julio Arcoverde (PP-PI) and reported by Deputy Felipe Carreras (PSB-PE). Work began on May 17 with an initial term of 120 days, but this period was extended.
The initiative to create the collegiate was based on investigations carried out by the Public Ministry of Goiás that raised suspicions of manipulation in games of the Brazilian Championship last year, as well as in state games this year.
Several players related to the scheme have already been judged by sports justice and have been punished with fines, suspensions and even banishment from football.
