Flamengo has been fined by CONMEBOL for displaying a message opposing Brazil’s betting ban during its Copa Libertadores semi-final against Estudiantes.
The club is reported to have received four fines following the second leg of the tie at the Maracanã, with the penalties totalling BR201,000.
One of the sanctions, worth BR44,000, was directly related to the message “Proibir não é proteger” (“Prohibiting is not protecting”), which Flamengo displayed on its shirt during the match.
The statement was part of the club’s protest against the prohibition of betting operators in Brazil, a measure that has prompted criticism from parts of the country’s sports sector.
Brazilian football clubs have raised concerns about the financial consequences of the restrictions, particularly their impact on sponsorship agreements with betting companies. The sector has become an important source of commercial investment in football, supporting clubs, competitions and other sporting activities.
The remaining three sanctions were also issued in connection with the match against Estudiantes. However, reports have not specified the reasons behind those penalties.
The total fine of $36,000 covers all four sanctions, including the $8,000 penalty for the shirt message. The protest has brought further attention to the financial debate surrounding the betting ban and its consequences for Brazilian football.
Flamengo’s main sponsor before the ban was Betano and the President of the national team, which is the biggest in Brazil, has previously said it was not possible to pay one of their star footballers without the betting sponsorship.
Brazil's football sponsorship landscape had a 125% surge in the value of lead sponsorships across Série A before the ban
