Company hired by CBF failed to notice manipulation of results proven in Operation Maximum Penalty

Hired by CBF since 2017, with a contract extension in 2022, the Sportradar is an international sports technology company that monitors bets on matches held in Brazil. With the allegations of John Textorshareholder of SAF do Botafogoabout result manipulationthe press started to hit a button, ignoring important details.

Part of the press argues that the games considered suspicious by Sportradar in 2023 were 109, 15 of which were in CBF competitions, with none of them in Series A. It is a way of trying to reduce John Textor’s accusations.

However, the same press does not mention that Sportradar simply was unable to identify manipulation in any of the games that were proven in Operation Maximum Penalty, launched in November 2022 by the Public Ministry. There were 26 people involved, with at least 15 players (some even from Serie A) and several matches manipulated. All of it under the noses of Sportradar and the CBF, who didn’t notice anything suspicious.

Last year, in a note to “Folha”, Sportradar did not comment on the matter and responded that “due to the confidentiality contract with partner entities and companies, specific data on games, leagues and athletes are not disclosed, especially because if a investigation is open, the information remains under judicial secrecy.” CBF declined to comment on the partner’s methodology.

In the Manipulation CPI, the company argued that “the number of competitions in the country creates a perfect storm” and admitted that it did not notice irregularities in the games proven by the Public Ministry.

Brazil is the world leader in matches suspected of being manipulated. John Textor tries to prove corruption in Brazilian football and promises to provide evidence.