Football star Luiz Henrique involved in match-fixing scandal
•
7 Nov 2024 •
Reading time: 3 minutes The Spanish authorities are on top of it: Brazilian footballer Luiz Henrique is accused of manipulating football matches to benefit gamblers. In plain English? They believe he made a deal to influence the course of matches. The gambling world is watching, because if this turns out to be true, it could have major consequences.
Henrique is suspected of being involved in a criminal organization that manipulates sports results for betting purposes. This suspicion stems from information that the Spanish police received from the Brazilian Public Prosecutor’s Office of Goiás (MP-GO), where they were already working on “Operation Maximum Penalty” last year. In that operation, they delved deeper into a world of money, gambling and deception, and now they have Luiz Henrique on their radar.
Connections with match-fixing main suspect Bruno Lopez de Moura
The case is made more exciting by the role of businessman Bruno Lopez de Moura. According to MP-GO, he is the mastermind behind these gambling practices, in which players are rewarded for deliberately committing offences, such as receiving a yellow card. Moura is said to have been the middleman between gamblers and players, ensuring that the “game” went according to plan. And who was in his contact list? Luiz Henrique, one of the stars in this gambling scandal.
Henrique’s name has surfaced before. Sportradar, a company that monitors suspicious gambling activities worldwide, reported that a surprising number of bets were placed on matches in which he played. This happened when he was still playing for Spanish side Real Betis. Lucas Paquetá, another Brazilian footballer, was also mentioned in this. It turned out that there were a surprising number of cards during those matches, exactly as would be the plan in a match-fixing scenario.
Suspicious transactions raise questions
In September, new information suddenly surfaced: a relative of Paquetá had transferred around £5,000 to Luiz Henrique, shortly after Henrique picked up a few yellow cards. These types of money transactions only make the case stranger and reinforce the suspicion that Henrique may be involved in this gambling fraud. It is these types of details that set off alarm bells for the authorities. The focus on Henrique only increases, and the gambling world holds its breath.
Luiz Henrique reacts strongly to the accusations
After a match, Luiz Henrique was confronted about the accusations. He reacted indignantly and stated that he absolutely does not intend to let these allegations overshadow his shine as a footballer. “I don’t think it makes any sense,” he told the press with confidence. “They are trying to take away my shine, but they are not going to succeed. I know that God and my family are behind me. This is not going anywhere.”
Henrique stands firm: he had nothing to do with it, and he is not going to be deterred. However, the accusations do not seem to disappear just like that, and the question remains as to what exactly was going on behind the scenes in football and the gambling world.