Striker Ênio is set to be removed from Juventude after a new match-fixing alert emerged. Bookmakers registered unusual movements involving Ênio in a match against Fortaleza, when the player received a yellow card in the 38th minute of the first half for a foul on Lucas Sasha.
Although the club’s management has not yet made the decision official, behind the scenes they already consider the dismissal to be certain. On Saturday (11), bookmakers notified the CBF about suspicious movements.
These indicated that Ênio should receive a yellow card, coinciding with what happened. The Rio Grande do Sul club, in a statement, did not confirm the immediate removal, but indicated that it will happen soon.
In the communication, Juventude reported: “Given the recurrence of the facts publicly disclosed and which motivated the opening of an investigation by the competent authorities involving the athlete Ênio, it will adopt, internally, the appropriate measures.”
Enio’s passage through youth
Ênio, signed from Amazonas at the beginning of the season, played in 17 games for Juventude, scoring two goals and providing one assist. His positive performance in the Campeonato Gaúcho resulted in the club acquiring 50% of his rights for R$1.2 million.
This is not the first incident involving the player. In the opening round of the Brasileirão, bookmakers identified an abnormal increase in bets for Ênio to be booked against Vitória, which happened due to a complaint.
After that, he was removed from a game against Botafogo, but reinstated days later after denying involvement in betting. Juventude has not yet decided how it will deal with Ênio’s departure, especially in relation to the amounts invested.
Check out Juventude’s official statement on the case: “Esporte Clube Juventude informs that, given the recurrence of publicly disclosed facts that led to the opening of an investigation by the competent authorities involving the athlete Ênio, it will adopt, internally, the appropriate measures.
The Club reaffirms its total and unrestricted commitment to integrity, fair play and ethics. Esporte Clube Juventude remains at the disposal of the competent authorities to collaborate with the complete clarification of the facts.”
Suspected match-fixing in Ceará
On Friday (9), authorities executed a search and seizure warrant at the residence of a soccer player in Fortaleza (CE). The athlete is under suspicion of involvement in match-fixing in the 2024 Ceará Championship, according to information obtained by Sistema Verdes Mares.
The operation is part of Operation “Counterattack”, an initiative by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Ceará focused on combating match-fixing in football. This operation is being conducted by the Criminal Investigation Unit (Nuinc), with support from the Civil Police, and was launched in response to a complaint from the Ceará Football Federation (FCF).
Suspicions arose after the FCF received detailed sports monitoring reports from specialist company Sportradar. These documents raised concerns about possible irregularities in matches, especially in the lower divisions of the 2024 Ceará Championship.
Finally, the name of the player involved, as well as the team he played for, have not yet been released. However, the investigations remain active, with Operation “Counterattack” working to fully clarify the events and ensure the integrity of the championship. In addition, the focus is on determining the extent of the manipulation and identifying any others involved.
Official FCF Note on the match-fixing case
The Ceará Football Federation informs that, in 2024, it forwarded to the Public Ministry of the State of Ceará (MP-CE) technical reports prepared by the company Sportradar, specialized in monitoring and analyzing sports integrity, pointing out signs of possible manipulation of results in matches in the access divisions of the Ceará Championship.
The reports presented identified signs of irregular conduct in games valid for Series B and C of the Ceará Championship, both held in 2024. The measure aims to collaborate with the competent authorities to properly clarify the facts, reaffirming the FCF’s commitment to transparency, ethics and fairness in the competitions.
The Ceará Football Federation reaffirms its commitment to the integrity of the sport and will continue to adopt all necessary measures to guarantee the credibility and respect of competitions organized in the State of Ceará.
