Zona de Azar Brasil – Brazil: John Textor Has the Biggest Punishment in the History of the STJD

Brazil.- July 10, 2024 www.zonadeazar.com The Superior Court of Sports Justice (STJD) published the final report of the investigation into the accusations made by John Textor. The owner of SAF do Botafogo had reported manipulation of results in the Brazilian Championship.

As a result, the auditor recommended a six-year suspension and a fine of R$2 million for Textor, which would represent the largest punishment ever imposed by the court.

STJD Considered the Evidence as ‘Unreliable’

The entity evaluated the evidence presented by Textor and considered it “useless”. It concluded that the actions constitute sporting infractions against the honor of seven sporting entities, nine athletes and nine referees.

Furthermore, it identified “infractions against sporting ethics and personal motivation in requesting the opening of the investigation”.

In March, Textor claimed to have evidence of manipulation of Brazilian Championship games and presented it to the STJD. In April, he published a text on his website alleging manipulation in the game between Palmeiras and São Paulo.

The investigation was initiated after these episodes, at the request of the Attorney General for Sports Justice, Palmeiras, São Paulo, the Professional Athletes Union of São Paulo and the National Association of Football Referees.

In the report, auditor Mauro Marcelo de Lima e Silva suggests referring the case to the Rio de Janeiro Court, treating it as criminal offenses:

“Considering that, in theory, the criminal offenses of Slanderous Reporting and False Reporting of Crime are configured, a full copy of this Inquiry should be forwarded to the Attorney General of Justice of Rio de Janeiro, Doctor Luciano Oliveira Mattos de Souza, for the measures he deems needed”.

GAMES REPORTED BY JOHN TEXTOR

According to the report, Textor presented two videos, one approximately six minutes long and the other approximately 47 minutes long. These videos show the partners of Good Game, a company hired by Textor, explaining the “matchfix” method.

In addition to the videos, Textor sent a PDF file titled “level 3 game report between SE Palmeiras 5 x 0 São Paulo FC, held on 10/25/2023”. Another seven documents analyze the actions of referees in the following games:

Palmeiras 1×0 Vasco da Gama, 08/27/2023
Botafogo 1×2 Flamengo, 02/09/2023
Atlético Mineiro 1×0 Botafogo, 09/16/2023
Palmeiras 5×0 São Paulo, 10/25/2023
Palmeiras 1×0 Bahia, 10/28/2023
Botafogo 3×4 Palmeiras, 11/02/2023
Botafogo 1×2 Bahia, 05/05/2024

The report concludes that “John Charles Textor hired the services of the company ‘Good Game’ with the aim of forging evidence of alleged match manipulations, harming the rights of individuals and legal entities unfairly accused by him”.

Upon completion of the investigation, the Prosecutor’s Office will be notified and will have up to 60 days to file the complaint. The case will then be judged by the Disciplinary Committee and, in the event of an appeal, by the Plenary.

OFFICIAL NOTE FROM JOHN TEXTOR

The black and white leader quickly questioned the motivations of Mauro Marcelo de Lima e Silva, rapporteur of the case, by suggesting a six-year suspension for the businessman.

“Serious questions must be asked about the STJD Auditor, Mr. Mauro Marcelo de Lima e Silva, who appears to be acting according to someone else’s agenda,” stated John Textor.

“In addition to the disproportionate penalties recently suggested in your report, I am dismayed that my good faith pursuit of elucidating facts and elements of match-fixing has led to serious accusations against me,” he added.

Editó: @_fonta www.zonadeazar.com