RIO DE JANEIRO, RJ (FOLHAPRESS) - The Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro launched this Monday (6) the third phase of Operation VAR, which investigates manipulation of results in Series B of the Carioca Championship and money laundering. Two were the subject of search and seizure warrants.
Police investigate players for manipulation in Series B of the Carioca Championship
RIO DE JANEIRO, RJ (FOLHAPRESS) - The Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro launched this Monday (6) the third phase of Operation VAR, which investigates manipulation of results in Series B of the Carioca Championship and...
Agents from the Consumer Police carried out three warrants: in Bangu, west of the city, in Maré, north, and at the headquarters of Nova Iguaçu, in Baixada Fluminense.
One of those investigated is defender Luiz Gustavo Lopes dos Santos, who played for Portuguesa-RJ at the time of the events and now plays for Olaria. He was taken to the police station to provide clarification and then released. The other is defender and midfielder Sidney de Freitas Pages, known as Sidão, then at Nova Iguaçu and currently at Dibrados F.C., a Kings League team. As of Monday afternoon, he had not been located.
In a statement, Portuguesa said it had acted with transparency and ethics and claimed to have collaborated with the authorities since the beginning of the investigations. The police did not say whether the players have lawyers. The report asked Nova Iguaçu, Olaria and Dibrados F.C for a position via email.
According to the Civil Police, the suspicion is that Luiz Gustavo deliberately forced a yellow card in the match between Portuguesa and Nova Iguaçu, in February this year, at the Luso-Brasileiro stadium, in the sixth round of the first phase – a game won by Portuguesa 1-0.
The warning would have been combined to benefit bettors on sports betting platforms, in the modality known as microbets, in which winnings depend on specific moves, such as cards, fouls and corners.
The investigation began in 2024, following a complaint from Ferj (Football Federation of the State of Rio de Janeiro), which pointed to signs of irregularities in several matches in the state. The material seized in the searches will be analyzed to identify other possible members of the scheme, according to the police.
In June, the Rio Sports Court of Justice suspended Luiz Gustavo and Sidão for 365 days, understanding that there was deliberate action to harm the teams themselves. In the same decision, the president and supervisor of Portuguesa were fined R$5,000 each for obstruction or non-cooperation with the Sports Court. There is an appeal.
After the searches, Luiz Gustavo denied irregularities in a video published on social media and later deleted. "It's not my fault if people bet on me," said the defender.
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Source: Noticias ao Minuto - Ultima Hora
This story was originally published by Noticias ao Minuto - Ultima Hora. Visit the original publication for further details.
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