STJD accepts appeal, suspends Vasco president for 15 days | OneFootball

Vasco suffered a major legal setback this Wednesday (15). President Pedrinho was sentenced to a 15-day suspension by the full bench of the Superior Court of Sports Justice (STJD). The punishment stems from the major controversy during the thrilling 3-3 draw with Cruzeiro at Mineirão, in a match valid for the Brazilian Championship. The auditors’ new ruling completely overturned the acquittal granted by the disciplinary committee in the first instance.

Last Thursday, the Vasco chairman had only been warned for his strong complaints directed at referee Lucas Paulo Torezin, from Paraná. Dissatisfied with the light penalty, the Prosecutor’s Office filed a voluntary appeal arguing that the executive had engaged in “extremely reprehensible” conduct.

According to the formal accusation, the former player’s words went beyond acceptable limits. The body pointed out that the repeated accusations of “repeated harm” attributed a “biased stance” to the match referee.

+ Vasco on alert: STJD seeks to overturn Pedrinho’s acquittal after pressure from the CBF

STJD reversal punishes Vasco president for indiscipline

In the full-bench trial, the case rapporteur, Dr. Luiz Felipe Bulus, was categorical in his position in favor of conviction. He justified his vote with the following statement:

Based on that reasoning, the auditor voted for conviction under Article 258 of the CBJD, which deals with engaging in conduct contrary to discipline or sporting ethics. The other auditors present at the session fully followed the rapporteur.

In addition to the Vasco president, the session also determined the fate of other professionals involved in recent controversies. Midfielder Barros, who had been sent off in the match in Belo Horizonte, received only a one-match suspension.

Director Felipe Loureiro and football manager Clauber Rocha were also on the agenda over complaints and pitch invasion in the match against Santos on February 26. Both avoided a harsher punishment and received a warning.

Barros celebrates a goal against Cruzeiro; the midfielder was sent off and received a one-match suspension – Photo: Gilson Lobo/AGIF

Defense challenges tight deadline and uses testimony given at police station

During his allotted time, the lawyer representing Vasco strongly questioned what he called a very short period for preparing the defense. The legal department claimed it received notice of the appeal only on Friday, after 10 p.m. As a result, the three business days provided for submitting the counterarguments, counted from Monday onward, ended on the exact date of the trial, undermining the full right to defense before the court.

In an attempt to spare the executive from the punishment imposed under the new direction, the legal team brought an unusual element into the case file. They attached the statement given by referee Lucas Paulo Torezin at a police station in Belo Horizonte. In the police document, the referee stated that he did not personally feel offended by the chairman. Despite the innovative strategy presented before the full bench, the court chose to focus on the disrespect toward the on-field authority and upheld the 15-day suspension.

Pedrinho was involved in a controversy during Cruzeiro 3 x 3 Vasco – Photo: Reprodução

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