Soccer
10 Nov 2024 | 09:26 |
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Last Tuesday, Flamengo striker Bruno Henrique was woken up by Federal Police officers at his home. The agents were there to investigate a complaint about betting fraud involving a yellow card taken in a 2023 Brasileirão match (in the video above).
Yellow cards they had already been the center of the Goiás Public Prosecutor's Office's Maximum Penalty operation — which is still ongoing and has already indicted more than 30 people for betting schemes, in which players were paid to force warnings.
Today At the center of most police investigations involving the betting market, yellow cards are experiencing an explosion in Brazilian football. The number of warnings distributed in Series A of the Brazilian Championship increased by 17% from 2018 to 2024, according to information from Footstats. This is the period that comprises the last year of pre-liberation of sports betting in Brazil and also encompasses a change in guidance for referees: less tolerance for complaints.
In this year's edition, the judges showed, on average, 57.2 yellow cards per round. In 2018, the Brasileirão closed with an average of 48.7 cards/round. As there are still six rounds left until the end of Brasileirão 2024, this number is still subject to change.
The release of sports betting on Brazil came in December 2018. In the two subsequent editions of the Brasileirão, there was even a reduction in yellows — an accumulated drop of around 10% in 2019 and 2020. But the shift in yellows begins in 2021 and becomes accentuated in 2023, when the commission of arbitration asked referees to be more rigorous with complaints on the field.
This orientation it became even stricter in 2024, with the addendum: only those who are the team captain can speak to the referee. There was even the unusual situation of a captaincy rotation in the Internacional game, so that the players could complain without being sent off.
The report consulted some elite referees to discuss the fact. None of them associated the increase in cards with sports betting. "Players get cards because they are annoying and always will be. Our football environment is troubled and I don't see a solution in the short or medium term," a referee told UOL, speaking on condition of anonymity.
As is outside?
In other European leagues, for example, there is little variation in the period. The only one that clashes is the Premier League. In the English Championship, the number of yellow cards increased by more than twice that of Brazil. From 2019 to 2024, the percentage of yellow distributed grew by 62%.
Mengão striker was seen having dinner with the Brazilian National Team coach and rumors of a possible call-up are growing
15 Ago 2025 | 09:13 |
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Flamengo's standout player in recent matches, Samuel Lino could be close to his first call-up to the Brazilian National Team . On Thursday night (14), the striker met with coach Carlo Ancelotti at Mocellin Steakhouse , in Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro. The news was first reported by Coluna do Fla.
Ancelotti had already seen Samuel in action the day before at the Maracanã, when Flamengo beat Internacional 1-0 in the first leg of the Copa Libertadores round of 16. On that occasion, the striker gave full-back Aguirre a hard time, creating good plays down the left flank.
In the previous duel, against Mirassol for the Brasileirão, Samu had provided the assist for Léo Pereira to open the scoring in the 2-1 victory. Recently signed from Atlético de Madrid (ESP), Samuel Lino has played five games with the Manto Sagrado, without yet scoring goals , but with performances that have been attracting attention.
The next Brazilian national team roster will be announced by Carlo Ancelotti on August 25th at 3:30 pm (Brasília time) at the CBF headquarters. The 23 players will be announced for the matches against Chile at the Maracanã and Bolivia in El Alto, on September 4th and 9th, respectively, in the final rounds of the World Cup qualifiers. Brazil has already secured a spot in the World Cup and is looking to improve on its current third-place finish.
There is an expectation that other Flamengo athletes will be called up, as happened in Ancelotti's first call-up , when Léo Ortiz, Danilo and Alex Sandro, in addition to Wesley and Gerson — then Flamengo players —, were included in the list.
HISTORY AGAINST ANCELOTTI
In Europe, Samuel Lino and Carlo Ancelotti have faced each other several times. The striker, playing for Valencia and Atlético de Madrid, recorded four wins, three losses, and four draws against the coach , who was then in charge of Real Madrid. Samu scored twice in matches against teams managed by the Italian.
Mengão beat Internacional 1-0 with a goal from the striker and the coach returned to address the player's trial, which has not yet been scheduled.
15 Ago 2025 | 08:51 |
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Bruno Henrique started last Wednesday (13) and scored the winning goal for Flamengo over Internacional, 1-0, in the first leg of the round of 16 of the Libertadores. The lineup generated debates, as days before new developments emerged in the accusation of fraud in sports results involving the striker.
Filipe Luís on Flamengo's Bruno Henrique: "Until he is tried and convicted, he is innocent"
"My treatment of him is the same. He's presumed innocent . Until he's tried and convicted, he's innocent," said coach Filipe Luís at a press conference at Maracanã. This isn't the first time the coach has addressed the issue, and he's stated that he will continue using the player.
The investigation began in November 2023, when Bruno Henrique received a yellow card and, later, a red card in Flamengo 's match against Santos . Three bookmakers registered suspicious activity linked to the possibility of the player being cautioned.
Conversations extracted from the attacker's cell phone, in which he and his brother Wander discuss the possibility of receiving a card, became key pieces of evidence in the case . The case, which had been stalled, resumed progress in 2025.
On August 12, a petition called for Bruno Henrique and his brother to be charged with alleged fraud , in addition to fraud. Judge Fernando Brandini Barbagalo, however, upheld the decision not to arrest them, stating that there was no risk of flight.
If convicted, the brothers could face sentences of two to six years in prison, plus a fine. While the case continues, Bruno Henrique remains at Filipe Luís's disposal . If convicted, the striker could be suspended from football for up to two years.
The striker is unable to continue as a starter for Raposa due to Kaio Jorge's good form and is already looking forward to a move abroad.
15 Ago 2025 | 08:35 |
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Gabigol left Flamengo at the beginning of this season after not renewing his contract and signing with Cruzeiro . However, his stay at the Minas Gerais club may be short-lived: the striker is being targeted by teams in Saudi Arabia , according to Rádio Tupi.
The future of the former Flamengo striker is uncertain. He's currently losing his place in the team due to the excellent form of Kaio Jorge , the Brasileirão's top scorer, and the board's search for new attacking reinforcements. The combination of these factors has opened the door for international clubs to approach him.
In 2025, Gabigol played 30 matches for Cruzeiro, scoring 11 goals and providing four assists under Leonardo Jardim . Despite a strong start, the loss of a starting spot and early elimination from international competitions diminished his prominence.
Meanwhile, his former club is going through the opposite moment. Flamengo beat Internacional 1-0 last Wednesday (13) at Maracanã, and took the lead in the round of 16 of the Libertadores, with a goal from Bruno Henrique, needing only a draw next Wednesday (20) to guarantee a place in the quarterfinals.
Despite a decisive moment in the Libertadores, Flamengo now focuses its efforts on the Brasileirão, when it faces Internacional in the 20th round and the first of the second half of the Championship. Flamengo leads the competition with 40 points, three more than Gabigol's second-place Cruzeiro, but with a game in hand.
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