IT'S TO CELEBRATE! FLAMENGO FANS ELECTED THE BEST IN BRAZIL, ACCORDING TO THE STUDY BELOW

Striker Bruno Henrique, currently at Flamengo , was indicted by the Federal Police on suspicion of involvement in a match-fixing scheme in Brazilian football. The investigation indicates that the player would have participated in an alleged agreement to intentionally receive a yellow card during the match between Flamengo and Santos, valid for the 2023 Brazilian Championship . Ten other people were also named in the investigation, including his brother, Wander Nunes Pinto Júnior.

INTERCEPTED MESSAGES SHOW CONVERSATION BETWEEN PLAYER AND BROTHER

According to information revealed by the Metrópoles portal, investigators had access to the contents of the cell phone of Wander, the striker's brother . In one of the conversations found, he questions Bruno Henrique about the number of cards he had received in the competition. The player confirms that he had two cards and, shortly after, the pair begin to discuss the possibility of receiving one more in the game against Santos, which, according to the PF, would indicate an attempt at manipulation to favor bets.

FOCUS OF THE INVESTIGATION IS THE GAME BETWEEN FLAMENGO AND SANTOS IN OCTOBER 2023

The match in question took place in October 2023 and, until then, had not raised public suspicions. However, the content of the messages rekindled the possibility that the striker forced a yellow card warning . The case is being treated as betting fraud and embezzlement, crimes with penalties that can exceed five years in prison.

In an official statement, Flamengo stated that it has not yet been formally notified by any authority about the athlete's indictment. The club reinforced its commitment to complying with sporting and legal standards, but also highlighted the importance of respecting Bruno Henrique's right to defense, emphasizing that the player must be treated as innocent until proven guilty. "The Club is committed to complying with the rules of fair play in sport, but equally defends the application of the constitutional principle of the presumption of innocence and due process of law," the statement said.

During the examination of the devices, the Federal Police identified that a large part of Bruno Henrique's WhatsApp messages had been deleted, making it difficult to fully trace the conversations. Even so, the content accessed on his brother's cell phone was considered sufficient to proceed with the investigation. Almost four thousand conversations were analyzed, with several gaps and excerpts without context.

Since taking over as Flamengo 's coach, Filipe Luís has made it clear that one of his priorities would be to preserve the players for the most decisive moments of the season. The coach has been making constant changes to the starting team and, despite some criticism, remains convinced that rotation is essential for the team's performance throughout the year.

LUCAS PEDROSA HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF SAVING

During an appearance on an SBT program, Vasco da Gama commentator Lucas Pedrosa commented on this strategy adopted by Mais Querido. For him, fans need to understand that resting athletes is a necessary measure, and not an arbitrary choice. According to Pedrosa, insisting on maximum strength during all games can end up generating a series of injuries and, therefore, poor results.

"IT'S NOT A CHOICE, IT'S A NECESSITY", SAYS PEDROSA

"If the team doesn't make a plan by June, when the World Cup comes around, everyone will be exhausted. Then there's no point in lamenting a defeat and a player out due to injury," commented the journalist. He reinforced that Brazilian clubs need to adapt to the tight schedule and that sports science today shows exactly when it is necessary to preserve each athlete.

Pedrosa's speech came after Flamengo was defeated by Central Córdoba, at Maracanã, in a Libertadores match where the team rested some starters. The below-average performance sparked dissatisfaction among part of the fans, who began to question the use of the alternative squad in matches considered important.

Pedrosa, however, responded to the criticism. "If the fans say that they have the best squad in the country, they need to trust whoever is coming in. You can't talk big and then criticize when someone is rested," he said. For him, it is inconsistent to praise the depth of the group and at the same time not accept the changes made by the coach.

The Federal Police indicted Flamengo striker Bruno Henrique on suspicion of fraud and fraud related to the manipulation of results in football matches. The information was released this Monday (14) by the Metrópoles portal and also points to the participation of ten other people in an alleged irregular sports betting scheme.

INTERCEPTED MESSAGES LINK THE PLAYER TO THE SCHEME

During the investigation of the case, agents analyzed the contents of the cell phone of Wander Nunes Pinto Júnior, the attacker's brother. According to what was reported by the Metrópoles portal, messages were found that, according to the PF, would indicate the direct participation of Bruno Henrique in the suspicious actions, including the intention of forcing a yellow card on purpose.

MATCH BETWEEN FLAMENGO AND SANTOS IS THE FOCUS OF THE INVESTIGATION

The conversation in question reportedly took place in August last year and refers to the game between Mais Querido and Santos, played in October 2023, for the Brazilian Championship. The suspicion is that the striker would have agreed to participate in an agreement to receive a yellow card on purpose, moving sports betting.

The messages found on Wander's cell phone suggest that the two talked about the number of cards Bruno Henrique had received. In one of the excerpts, his brother asks: "Do you have 2 cards in the Brazilian Championship?" The striker answers affirmatively and then the two continue talking about the game against Santos and the possibility of a deliberate warning.

Almost 4,000 conversations on Bruno Henrique's WhatsApp were analyzed, but the PF identified several deleted or incomplete content. This raised the hypothesis that some of the data may have been deleted by the player himself. Even so, the material recovered from Wander's cell phone was considered relevant by investigators.