A Brazilian court has upheld the prison sentence of former footballer Reginaldo Rivelino Jandoso, known as Piá, in connection with a case involving betting-related match manipulation.
Piá, 52, who previously played for clubs including Santos, Corinthians and Ponte Preta, was arrested after attempting to evade police in the city of Sumaré, in the state of São Paulo.
Authorities confirmed he had an outstanding arrest warrant linked to the case.
The arrest occurred when officers from the Military Police’s Special Action Battalion approached the former player while he was driving.
According to police reports, he attempted to flee and drove through a gate before being detained.
A custody hearing held by videoconference confirmed the legality of the arrest, which was carried out to enforce a warrant.
The case stems from an investigation into an attempt to influence the outcome of a football match in the São Paulo state fourth division.
Prosecutors alleged that Piá attempted to bribe a goalkeeper from Independente de Limeira Football Club with payments ranging from BR3,000 ($571) to BR7,000 to concede goals during a match.
Despite denying the accusations, Piá was convicted of offering an advantage intended to manipulate the outcome of the sporting event, an offense covered under Brazil’s Estatuto do Torcedor.
The case has gone through several legal developments.
In July 2025, the conviction was temporarily annulled after a judge accepted a request for clemency based on a presidential decree granting pardons for certain sentences of up to five years.
However, the Public Prosecutor’s Office later appealed the decision, and in January 2026 the court reversed the annulment, reinstating the conviction and reissuing the arrest warrant.
Brazil’s betting regulator has also recently moved to tighten oversight of betting-related advertising, particularly campaigns involving influencers
