CBF demands probe, video maker denies AI in Memphis incident

In partnership with

Deus me Dibre

·11 December 2025

CBF demands probe, video maker denies AI in Memphis incident

The controversy that took over the football world this Thursday (11) gained a new chapter after photographer and cameraman Cristiano Sevieri spoke out about the video showing Memphis Depay’s handball in the play that led to Corinthians’ 1-0 victory over Cruzeiro at Mineirão, in the first leg of the Copa do Brasil semifinals.

The discussion began after journalist PVC reported that the CBF was investigating the alleged use of artificial intelligence in the production of the footage. The content went viral overnight, raising doubts about the origin of the recording and whether there was, in fact, any digital manipulation.

OneFootball Videos

Cristiano, responsible for the footage in question, used his personal Instagram profile to explain how the video was published. In a series of stories, he talked about the process involving the video:

“Two in the morning, I’m in my room downloading the file, at the time I didn’t notice (…) I find it bizarre that VAR doesn’t have this footage. I always leave cameras positioned around the stadium to capture moments like this. I saw the moment while editing, didn’t think it would get so much attention (…) we posted the video at 2 a.m., I went to sleep and woke up with the Globo director calling me. It already had 3 million views.”

Soon after the information brought by journalist PVC surfaced, Cristiano commented on a post by the journalist himself and countered by saying he has the raw footage – that is, without any kind of editing – to prove the authenticity of the image:

A self-declared Corinthians fan, Cristiano Sevieri also commented that, in his view, the incident should not change the scenario for the return leg, scheduled for Sunday (14) at Neo Química Arena. According to him, Corinthians’ qualification is well underway and the controversy will not influence the decisive match.

The play involving Memphis, the scorer of the goal that secured Corinthians’ win, became the center of discussion after the ball apparently touched the striker’s arm at the beginning of the play’s build-up. The play was reviewed by VAR, which “ignored” the possibility that the contact had occurred in a quick analysis.

According to our reporting, the Minas Gerais club is preparing a formal complaint to the CBF demanding clarification on two points: the goal scored by Corinthians, which Cruzeiro considers irregular, and the yellow card given to Romero during the match, which will keep the player out of the next game. The document is expected to be filed later today.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.