Brazil: Former Referee Arrested for Alleged Match-Fixing Scheme

Brazil – April 10, 2025 – www.zonadeazar.com The Civil Police of Goiás launched Operation “Jogada Marcada” this Wednesday (9) to dismantle a match-fixing scheme in national and international games. The operation was supported by the Civil Police of Paraíba and resulted in the arrest of former referee D’Guerro Batista Xavier, 46, in João Pessoa.

D’Guerro was arrested at his home in the Funcionários II neighborhood while authorities executed a temporary arrest warrant and a search and seizure warrant. He had already been removed from professional refereeing after being investigated in Operation “Cartola” in 2018, which uncovered fraud in Paraíba football. Despite no longer being officially registered, the former referee continued officiating amateur competitions and maintained connections within the sports world.

The investigation, led by the State Criminal Investigation Department (DEIC) in Goiânia, indicates that D’Guerro was part of a group called “Bribe Referees”, suspected of manipulating results in Brazil’s Serie B Championship and the Angolan Championship. According to police reports, the match-fixing benefited bettors and involved financial transactions with players from various Brazilian states and international clubs.

In total, the operation executed seven temporary arrest warrants and nine search and seizure warrants across six states: Ceará, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Maranhão, Paraíba, and Pernambuco.

In João Pessoa, Goiás Civil Police officers assisted in carrying out the operation.

In an interview with TV Cabo Branco, an affiliate of TV Globo in Paraíba, D’Guerro Xavier denied any involvement in the crimes and claimed he was unaware of the reason for his arrest. The Civil Police have not yet disclosed which matches were allegedly manipulated or the financial details involved in the scheme.

The former referee will be interrogated, and the gathered information will be sent to the investigation team in Goiás. D’Guerro Xavier is expected to remain in custody at the João Pessoa Civil Police Center for up to five days, as allowed for temporary detention. If new evidence emerges, authorities may request his detention be converted to preventive custody.

(Photo: Courtesy of Paraíba Civil Police)

Edited by: @_fonta | www.zonadeazar.com