Tribunal punishment! STJD bans Cuesta for one match, fines Vasco

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·22 Mei 2026

Tribunal punishment! STJD bans Cuesta for one match, fines Vasco

Vasco were fined R$2,000 and had center-back Carlos Cuesta suspended for one match by the First Disciplinary Commission of the STJD, in a unanimous ruling handed down this Thursday (21) in Rio de Janeiro, due to a three-minute delay at halftime and a sending-off for a violent sliding tackle in the 4-1 defeat to Internacional at Beira-Rio in the 16th round of the Brasileirão. The legal department of the Cruz-Maltino SAF received the sanctions at the first sporting-justice level. Although the panel’s decision can still be appealed, the financial penalty and the defender’s suspension are already in effect for the team’s upcoming official matches.

The court’s complaint was based entirely on the referee’s match report, which recorded that Vasco’s squad and the team from Rio Grande do Sul exceeded the allotted time to return from the locker room. Both clubs were charged under Article 206 of the Brazilian Code of Sports Justice and received identical penalties at the first-instance collective level. The ruling by the legal body was delivered unanimously by the case reporters, but the executive board at São Januário still retains the legal right to file an administrative appeal.

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The defense’s argument and the rapporteur’s vote in the Vasco center-back’s case

The defender was judged under Article 254 of the sports code, which harshly punishes violent plays in Brazilian football. During the hearing, lawyer Pedro Moreira presented the defense’s arguments in an attempt to dispute any intent to injure the opponent in the sliding-tackle incident:

“As for Vasco player Carlos Cuesta, the play fits Article 254 perfectly. You can see that the player arrived very late to the challenge and it really was a reckless tackle. In that sense, I will grant the defense’s request and apply the minimum penalty of a one-match suspension, with no conversion into a warning.”

The official statement from the acting chairman of the commission, Guilherme Martorelli, confirmed that the minimum penalty was applied to the player due to his clean disciplinary record before the court. Auditors Alcino Guedes and William Figueiredo fully followed the vote, determining that the player must serve the punishment in the next competitive round of the 2026 season. The decision worsens the coaching staff’s defensive absences as they try to build a reliable back line with strong tactical chemistry.

Match between Internacional and Vasco at Beira-Rio – Photo: Matheus Lima/Vasco

Preparing for the Brasileirão after the international setback

The atmosphere behind the scenes at the training center demands total focus from Renato Gaúcho’s players as they seek an immediate recovery on the domestic stage. Vasco are trying to put behind them the setback suffered in Paraguay in the Copa Sudamericana and are directing all their energy toward this coming Sunday’s (24) clash against Red Bull Bragantino. The match is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. at São Januário and is crucial for the club to pick up points and open up a safe gap from the troublesome relegation zone.