Brazil’s sports justice authorities have handed one-year suspensions to two players following a match manipulation case linked to suspicious betting activity during the 2026 Campeonato Carioca.
The Rio de Janeiro Sports Justice Tribunal (TJD-RJ) ruled that former Portuguesa full-back Luís Gustavo and former Nova Iguaçu defender Sidão deliberately acted against their teams’ interests by forcing yellow cards during a match between the two clubs on 7 February.
Both players were unanimously found guilty under Article 243 of Brazil’s Sports Justice Code and received 365-day suspensions, alongside fines. The decision can still be appealed.
The investigation began after monitoring company Sportradar alerted the Rio de Janeiro Football Federation (Ferj) and the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) to unusual betting activity surrounding the match.
According to the tribunal, approximately BR253,000 ($50,054) was wagered on the fixture through the operator where the activity was detected, with around 80% of that volume concentrated on bets predicting yellow cards for the two players.
The alerts proved particularly significant after both bookings occurred during the game. Sidão, then captain of Nova Iguaçu, received a yellow card in the 35th minute of the first half, while Luís Gustavo was booked early in the second half.
The ruling also extended beyond the players. Portuguesa president Marcelo Gonçalves and club supervisor Muniz were each fined BR5,000 for failing to cooperate fully with the investigation.
Earlier this year, Brazil’s Ministry of Sports published a Manual for the Prevention and Combat of Sports Results Manipulation.
The investigation is also one of 15 separate inquiries currently being handled by Rio’s consumer crimes division, which is examining suspected manipulation cases across multiple competitions dating back to 2023.
The footballers’ defence lawyer argued that the players should be acquitted, claiming there was no police investigation to support the allegations
