⚖️Forcing bookings for gamblers isn’t enough to fix matches, rules STF | OneFootball

The Second Panel of the Supreme Federal Court (STF) granted, this Tuesday (2), a habeas corpus to full-back Igor Cariús, dismissing the criminal case against him.

The information was released by ge.

Currently playing for Sport, the player was accused of deliberately getting a yellow card in the 2022 Brazilian Championship, while playing for Cuiabá, to benefit gamblers.

The prevailing understanding, led by Minister Gilmar Mendes and supported by Dias Toffoli, was that of the "atypical nature of the conduct."

They argued that the act of deliberately getting a single yellow card does not explicitly constitute a crime under the General Sports Law, as there was no intention to alter the outcome of the match or the competition.

The rapporteur, Minister André Mendonça, was in the minority.

📌 Central Point of the Decision

Cariús’s defense, accepted by Minister Gilmar Mendes, argued that the aim of the act was the success of a bet, and not to alter the result of the sporting event—which, according to him, is not criminalized by law.

Gilmar Mendes rejected the Superior Court of Justice’s (STJ) understanding that yellow cards influence tiebreaker criteria and, therefore, alter the result.

According to the minister, "the act of receiving a single yellow card is not enough to alter the outcome of a competition."

Cariús had been charged under Article 198 of the General Sports Law, which deals with soliciting or accepting an advantage to alter or falsify the result of a sporting competition or associated event.

The STF’s decision goes against the view of sports integrity experts.

In an interview with ge, Paulo Schmitt, former Attorney General of the STJD, stated that the protection of sports integrity is not limited to the final result.

"The practice of deliberately getting a yellow card, which can influence standings in championships, is considered a serious infraction and subject to severe penalties," he said.

In the realm of Sports Justice, Igor Cariús had already been punished with a one-year suspension.

The STF’s decision does not automatically apply to all cases.

For example, striker Bruno Henrique, from Flamengo, who was prosecuted for allegedly forcing a yellow card in 2023, was acquitted by the STJD.

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

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