SAO PAULO — Brazilian soccer membership Flamengo issued an announcement in assist of its winger Bruno Henrique on Tuesday amid a match-fixing investigation that introduced a number of federal police brokers to the membership’s coaching floor in Rio de Janeiro.
Native media reported that police are investigating a excessive variety of bets that got here in anticipating Henrique to be booked throughout Flamengo’s 2-1 loss in opposition to Santos in a Brazilian league match final 12 months. The 33-year-old winger acquired a yellow card close to the tip of the sport and was later despatched off.
Flamengo stated in an announcement that it’s going to give “whole assist to our athlete Bruno Henrique, who enjoys our belief and, like anybody else, has a presumption of innocence.”
“The membership didn’t have entry to the probe for the case is sealed,” it added. “Our athlete will proceed to carry out his skilled actions as common.”
Earlier than the probe, Henrique was anticipated to play at Cruzeiro in a Brazilian league match on Wednesday.
Brazil’s federal police confirmed that brokers visited Flamengo’s coaching floor, however didn’t say whether or not Henrique was a goal. A spokesman for the participant didn’t touch upon the case.
The winger is taken into account a membership hero and was one in every of its key gamers in two of Flamengo’s three Copa Libertadores titles.
In Might, one other Brazilian participant was concerned in a match-fixing scandal linked to sports activities betting.
West Ham and Brazil nationwide group midfielder Lucas Paquetá was charged by English soccer authorities amid allegations he had intentionally acquired playing cards throughout Premier League matches to affect betting markets. Paquetá denies any wrongdoing.
Final 12 months, investigations by prosecutors within the state of Goias introduced prices of alleged manipulation of sports activities competitions in opposition to 15 gamers throughout the highest two tiers and native leagues. A lot of them have been suspended from taking part in the game in Brazil.
