SAO PAULO (AP) – The lead investigator of Brazil’s sprawling match-fixing scandal said he has uncovered potential evidence of wrongdoing by players in other countries, and he hopes foreign authorities will use his team’s findings to start probes of their own.
Goias state District Attorney Fernando Cesconetto said in interviews with The Associated Press between Saturday and Monday that the case of Colorado Rapids midfielder Max Alves, who was reportedly named in the probe, could be prosecuted in the United States.
“There are some conversations regarding contacts of bettors from here with athletes abroad. And in its due moment that will be shared (with foreign authorities),” Cesconetto told. “(Alves’) own club preemptively suspended the athlete after news reports from here. Sharing our investigation so it can be investigated there is the natural path.”
O Globo reported last week that Alves, who is Brazilian, had been named in the probe. The Rapids of Major League Soccer confirmed in a statement that a player suspended in connection with the case is a member of their squad, but did not identify him. Alves has not commented publicly.
The investigation began in November, focussing on three matches, and has widened to 11 games, though some were in lower leagues.
The matches spanned the second half of 2022 and the first three months of this year, the district attorney said.
Investigators said players were offered between USD10,000 and USD20,000 to perform specific actions, like receiving yellow cards and giving out penalty kicks. Local media reported that suspected criminals mentioned having contacts in Greece and Lithuania, which Cesconetto did not confirm.
