John Textor facing six-year ban from Brazilian football

Crystal Palace’s largest shareholder John Textor is facing a six-year ban from Brazilian football after an investigation for the country’s Superior Court of Sports Justice (STJD) for Football dismissed his claims of match-fixing.

Textor has been in dispute with the Brazilian authorities ever since Botafogo, the Rio de Janeiro-based team owned by his Eagle Football Group, saw a huge lead at the top of Brazil’s Serie A disappear last year, allowing Palmeiras to overtake them and clinch the title in December.

The 58-year-old American, however, refused to accept defeat, claiming his side had been the victim of several dubious refereeing decisions, while Palmeiras had the been beneficiary of poor officiating, notably during a pivotal game between the teams in November, when Palmeiras came from 3-0 down to beat Botafogo 4-3.

When the season finished, Textor asked the STJD to either annul the results of six Serie A games — which he said had been “manipulated” — or order them to be replayed.

Textor’s request was ignored, but he submitted a dossier of evidence to the court prepared by Good Game, a French firm that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and biomechanics to detect match-fixing for betting companies and competition organisers, including European football’s governing body UEFA. He also continued to publicly allege that certain games were fixed.

But, in a 52-page report published on Sunday, STJD’s auditor Mauro Marcelo de Lima e Silva brushed off Textor’s allegations and Good Game’s evidence, describing them as “worthless”.

Furthermore, the auditor’s report said Textor had unfairly smeared the reputations of seven teams, nine players and nine referees. As a result, the auditor’s recommendation to the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) was that Textor be banned for 2,340 days and fined 2million Brazilian Real (£290,000, $370,000).

He also suggested the STJD should forward the case to Rio de Janeiro’s attorney general, as they amounted to the false reporting of crimes, which, in itself, is a criminal offence.

Textor did not take long to respond to the report, publishing a 2,000-word rebuttal, in English and Portuguese, that questioned Mauro Marcelo de Lima e Silva’s objectivity and challenged numerous points in his “misleading investigation and unfounded report”.

Noting that the auditor, who is in the final week of his term at the court, had already been outed by Botafogo fans as a Palmeiras supporter, Textor said he only ever wanted a “serious, impartial and technical investigation” into his claims and strongly denied that he has “made any allegation against a specific club, player or referee”.

Given the allegations he has made about specific incidents in specific games, many will take that claim with a pinch of salt, but Textor’s points about the auditor failing to interview him or anyone from Good Game does raise questions about the thoroughness of the investigation.

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“There is no precedent, in any civilised society, for punishing a whistleblower who calls for an investigation, especially when there are credible allegations based on expert testimony,” wrote Textor.

“Serious questions must be asked about the STJD auditor, Mr Mauro Marcelo de Lima e Silva, who appears to be acting according to someone else’s agenda.

“In addition to the disproportionate penalties suggested in his report, I am dismayed that my good faith search for elucidation of facts and elements of match-fixing has led to serious accusations against me.”

Textor added that the evidence he gave to the STJD has also been presented to a senate commission on match-fixing and the public prosecutor’s office, and their investigations are ongoing.

Meanwhile, after 15 games of the 2024 season, Botafogo and Palmeiras are level on 30 points, one point behind leaders Flamengo, with Botafogo hosting Palmeiras on Thursday, July 18.

(Ton Molina/NurPhoto via Getty Images)