Sportradar, a multinational specialized in sports data analysis, concluded after a thorough investigation that there is no evidence of result manipulation in the 2023 Brazilian Championship.
The company’s CEO, Carsten Koerl, emphasized that no anomalies were identified in the sports betting network that would raise suspicions.
In a statement given to the newspaper Folha de S. Paulo, Koerl highlighted: “Although it may not be the desired outcome for some club owners, our system did not detect any indication of manipulation.”
The controversy arose when John Textor, owner of SAF do Botafogo, claimed to have evidence of manipulation schemes during the aforementioned national championship. Therefore, a CPI (Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry) was established to investigate possible fraud in the tournament.
Based on an artificial intelligence report from the company Good Game!, which specializes in analyzing the behavior of athletes and referees with Artificial Intelligence (AI), Textor stated that there was manipulation in several games, including Series A matches.
During his testimony to the CPI, the American businessman emphasized that manipulation in football is a global reality, citing examples in Belgium, France and across Europe.
Partnership between Sportradar and CBF
It is worth mentioning that Sportradar has been a partner of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) since 2018, maintaining collaborations with entities such as Conmebol, UEFA and FIFA.
In a report sent to the CBF, the analysis carried out by Sportradar identified suspicions of manipulation in 109 matches played in Brazil in the previous year.
However, it is important to emphasize that none of these suspicions fell on the Brazilian Championship or the Copa do Brasil.
Of the games analyzed, 15 were part of competitions organized by the CBF, including one from Brazilian Series B, 13 from Series D and one from Copa Verde, according to a report by Folha.
Sportradar uses advanced methods, including artificial intelligence tools, to detect unusual movements on betting sites that may suggest fraud.
In other words, specialized professionals conduct the investigations, carrying out a thorough check after the system indicates possible irregularities.
