Rio club asks to be removed from betting firms, what’s behind it

A club set to compete in the Série C of the Campeonato Carioca, which is equivalent to the fifth tier of football in Rio de Janeiro, has requested that its matches not be included on sports betting platforms.

The club in question is Barra Mansa, which sent this request on Friday (1st) to the National Secretariat for Sports Betting and Economic Development of Sport (SNAEDE).

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The move comes two days before Leão do Sul’s debut in Série C against Campos. The match will be played at the rival’s home ground, Aryzão.

The club is playing in the competition after being relegated by Ferj, the Rio de Janeiro Football Federation, over suspicions of match-fixing during last year’s Série B2, the fourth division.

One of the arguments used by Barra Mansa points to the "unauthorized use of the club’s brand, name, and other institutional elements by companies in the sector, without any kind of authorization."

It also argues that "the competitions in which it takes part have no incentive, sponsorship, or connection with betting companies, and there is therefore no justification for including its matches on these platforms."

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There is also the statement that being present on betting platforms brings no benefit to the club and "may harm its image, as well as its athletes and professionals."

Tigres do Brasil, Búzios, Brescia, CAAC Brasil, Mageense, Uni Souza, Cardoso Moreira, União Central, Itaboraí Profute, Rio Barra, Barcelona, Ceres, Vera Cruz and Independente are the other teams in the fifth division of the Carioca.

Tigres, in 2009 and 2010, and Cardoso Moreira, in 2008, have already played in the top flight.

Suspension before relegation

Barra Mansa’s 2-1 defeat to Paraty in the eighth round of last year’s Série B came under Ferj’s scrutiny, as it investigated the volume of bets placed with the help of the company Sportradar.

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At first, Ferj only suspended the club after indicating the existence of "clear and compelling evidence that the course or result of the match was illegally altered or falsified with the aim of obtaining unlawful financial gains."

The following month, in November, the club was ultimately relegated. It even threatened to take the matter to the ordinary courts, but did not pursue the case.

Then in February this year, a club official allegedly involved in the case was suspended for 360 days and also fined R$ 50,000 by the Rio de Janeiro Sports Court (TJD-RJ).

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