Report: 8 footballers hit with 30-day suspension in Brazil over betting scandal

Reports from Brazil have revealed that eight footballers have been hit with bans over a sports betting scandal.

As first reported by ge.globo via Folha, the president of the Superior Court of Sports Justice (STJD), Otávio Noronha, has ordered a 30-day preventive suspension of eight footballers investigated in ‘Operation Maximum Penalty’, of the Prosecution Service of Goiás, which is currently investigating the manipulation of results in Brazilian football involving sports betting.

The suspension request was made for the following players: Eduardo Bauermann (Santos), Moraes (Aparecidense, ex-Juventude), Gabriel Tota (Youth), Paulo Miranda (Náutico, ex-Juventude), Igor Cariús (Sport, ex-Cuiabá ), Matheus Gomes (ex-Sergipe), Fernando Neto (São Bernardo, ex-Operário-PR) and Kevin Lomónaco (Bragantino).

Six of these players were denounced by the MP-GO (Prosecution Service of Goiás). 

The Justice of Goiás accepted the complaint and turned them into defendants. 

Kevin Lomónaco and Moraes have collaborated with the Prosecution Service and were not accused in the common court.

However, both players remain subject to sporting punishments.

Lomónaco and Moraes reportedly received money to receive a yellow card, while the other two other players were paid to commit a penalty. 

According to the attorney general of the STJD, Ronaldo Piacente, although there has been no trial, the evidence presented by the Prosecution Service is sufficient to justify the suspension.

According to ge.globo, the 'Maximum Penalty operation' is a new milestone in the fight against match-fixing and betting schemes in Brazilian football. 

The operation has been going on for several months and many football players in Brazil have already been investigated and denounced under the watchful eye of the Goiás Public Ministry, which started the work.

The first Maximum Penalty operation began in February 14 this year, by the Special Action Group to Combat Organized Crime (Gaeco), of the Public Ministry of the State of Goiás.

The second phase already kicked off in April and May, with more defendants, and more preventive arrests.

This phase will see the comprehensive investigation of players from the Brazilian Série B division up to the Série A, which involves players from the big teams in Brazilian football.

Meanwhile, Pulse Sports previously reported that Brentford striker Ivan Toney has been suspended from football for 8 months after breaching FA’s betting rules.

The 27-year-old Bees striker pleaded guilty to 232 betting offences.

The FA in a statement confirmed the ruling on Wednesday that Toney will be banned until January 16, 2023 and is also allowed to train in September 2023.