The world of Brazilian football just got a jolt. Bruno Henrique, the talented forward for Flamengo, has been hit with a severe penalty. Brazil’s Superior Court of Sports Justice (STJD) handed down a twelve-game suspension. This decision came after a long, eight-hour hearing held this past Thursday.
It’s not just a benching; the court also ordered Bruno Henrique to pay a hefty fine. He must pay 60,000 reais, which is about 9,456 euros. The court labeled his actions as unsportsmanlike behavior. The former Brazilian national team forward now faces a significant pause in his career.
The big issue? Bruno Henrique allegedly shared insider information. He told his brother about his plan to get a yellow card during a game. This match took place on November 1, 2023. Flamengo was playing Santos in the Brazilian Championship. That tip allowed his family and friends to place bets online and win big.
This isn’t the only trouble for the player. He’s also under a criminal investigation for the same actions. Legal authorities have decided to open a case against him. There’s no court date set yet, but the charges are serious. He faces accusations of sports fraud and swindling betting houses. If found guilty, he could spend up to 17 years and eight months in prison.
Both the sports justice and criminal cases hinge on some key evidence. Messages between Bruno Henrique and his brother were intercepted. These messages reportedly show them planning the exact moment of the foul. This digital trail proved crucial.
The investigation kicked off because betting houses noticed unusual activity. They reported these strange movements, prompting the Federal Police to step in. Police seized various devices and dug through a mountain of data. They analyzed 3,989 WhatsApp conversations. Interestingly, some of these messages had been deleted.
The sports court did clear Bruno Henrique of one charge. He was not found guilty of breaking Article 243 of the Sports Justice Code. That article deals with trying to deliberately harm a team. However, the judges saw things differently on another front. By a vote of four to one, they convicted the Flamengo player. He was found guilty of violating the sports ethics code. This specific article targets those who “act unfairly or fraudulently, with the aim of influencing the outcome of a match, event or equivalent.”
Lawyers representing both Flamengo and Bruno Henrique maintain his innocence. They argue that the forward did nothing wrong. They have already announced plans to appeal the conviction. This story is far from over.