As reported by SporTV, Michel Assef Filho, the lawyer for Bruno Henrique and Flamengo, disputed claims that the striker’s 12-game suspension for betting-related misconduct was “lenient.” The suspension also includes a fine of 60,000 reais, which the defense believes is excessive.
Assef stated, “There’s been a lot of talk about the punishment being mild. What happened with Bruno Henrique is different from previous cases. He shouldn’t have been punished under Article 243-A, which aims to prevent fraud in the game. In other instances, players manipulated results, but Bruno just intended to take a third yellow card, which is part of game strategy.”
He expressed concern over the idea that the sanction was too light, calling it actually exaggerated. “There was no privileged information or match-fixing involved,” he added.
The defense plans to appeal to the full panel of the STJD on two points: seeking recognition of the statute of limitations and disputing the use of Article 243-A. The lawyers argue that Bruno Henrique’s actions did not show unethical or anticompetitive conduct.
Currently, the suspension applies to Brazilian league matches, unless the Prosecutor’s Office asks for it to extend to other competitions. Meanwhile, a Federal District court reaffirmed its decision not to prosecute the player for fraud, due to a lack of evidence. Judge Fernando Brandini Barbagalo stated that only the charge of sports fraud remains, dismissing a proposed multimillion-real bond.
The case is now headed to a higher court. Bruno Henrique, along with his brother and seven others, was accused of announcing before a match against Santos in November 2023 that he planned to receive a yellow card, while he was already on two cautions in the league.
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