CBF investigates Lucho Acosta's yellow card for suspected match-fixing.

 The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has opened an investigation to look into suspicious bets related to a yellow card received by Fluminense midfielder Lucho Acosta in a Brazilian Championship match. The warning was given in the game against Red Bull Bragantino, played on Tuesday (July 17th) at the Maracanã, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

According to reporting by Rodrigo Mattos, a columnist for UOL, the investigation was triggered by a report from Sportradar, a monitoring company contracted by FIFA, which identified an abnormal volume of bets placed on the Argentine player's card during that match. The CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) notified the Federal Police, the Public Prosecutor's Office, and the STJD (Superior Court of Sports Justice). Fluminense was also informed.

The club issued a statement in response: “Fluminense FC received confidential notification from the CBF regarding the matter and informs that it is available to cooperate with the competent authorities. The athlete denied any involvement in any type of irregularity.”

How does the counting process work?

The investigation began with the betting company Stake, which reported the abnormal volume of transactions registered on Acosta's card to Sportradar. Sportradar, in turn, passed the case on to the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation). In the Série A and B of the Brazilian Championship, this company is the official betting monitoring channel and the first link in the investigative chain.

One detail that complicates the investigation: some of the suspicious bets were placed using cryptocurrencies, which makes identifying the bettors difficult.

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) stated that it is awaiting responses from the authorities that have already been notified. The confederation's understanding is that the case is still in a preliminary phase, even before a formal investigation stage. At the Superior Court of Sports Justice (STJD), there is no open case at the moment, as the investigations are in their initial stages.

The investigated bid

In the match on July 17th, Lucho Acosta received a yellow card in the 47th minute of the second half. The warning came after a collective scuffle between players from both teams, which began away from the Argentinian midfielder. Acosta pushed Lucas Barbosa of Bragantino, and then defender Gustavo Marques, who also pushed him. Referee David Lacerda issued the warning to the Fluminense player. The match ended in the 54th minute.

For the situation to advance to the investigative phase at the STJD (Superior Court of Sports Justice) and constitute a criminal offense, it will be necessary to prove intent to force the card with the aim of favoring bettors, which would characterize match-fixing.

The procedure is similar to that adopted in previous cases. The investigations involving Lucas Paquetá and Bruno Henrique also began based on Sportradar reports about an abnormal volume of bets. In Paquetá's case, conducted in England, the player was found innocent, among other factors, because the atypical volume of bets could have other explanations, such as a "hot tip" or "rumors," without necessarily involving the athlete.