The Clean Game operation, carried out by the Federal Police (PF) with the support of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), revealed new data on the match-fixing in Brazilian football.
In other words, documents seized in the game between Inter de Limeira and Patrocinense, which took place at the beginning of June, reinforced suspicions of game manipulation. In this way, rekindling the debate about the effectiveness of the actions of the CBF and the PF in combating these crimes.
Recent data shows a significant 67% drop in games suspected of manipulation, comparing January to June 2023 with the same period in 2024. The number of suspected matches decreased from 70 to 23.
When only the games under the CBF’s jurisdiction were analyzed, the reduction was even more drastic, reaching 92.8%, going from 14 to just one suspected case.
Measures to combat match manipulation and collaboration between CBF and PF
The PF and CBF have adopted a discreet stance regarding the specific strategies used to combat result manipulation. However, it is known that several measures and protocols are in place to make it difficult for criminals to act.
Collaboration between the two entities is crucial, allowing PF delegates to have real-time access to data and complaints received by the entity responsible for Brazilian football.
Six areas of the CBF are directly involved in providing information to investigative authorities:
- Integrity Unit
- Registration, Transfer and Licensing Directorate
- Competitions Directorate
- Legal Directorate
- Governance and Compliance Department
- Arbitration Commission
Furthermore, coaches and team captains participated in educational lectures on the topic before the start of the championships, aiming to increase awareness and prevention against possible manipulation schemes.
Impact of measures
The thorough investigation carried out by the CBF covers everyone involved in football, including players, managers, technical committees, referees and other agents.
The monitoring strategy and integration of information have shown promising results, reflecting a significant drop in suspected cases.
The combined actions of the PF and CBF demonstrate the importance of collaboration and the use of real-time data to tackle and mitigate match-fixing in Brazilian football.
