Football: 45 day suspension for Botafogo boss John Textor

American tycoon John Textor, owner of the Botafogo club in Rio de Janeiro, who hit the headlines by denouncing match-fixing in Brazil, was sentenced Friday to 45 days of suspension for having offended the boss of Brazilian football. During a virtual session in which Textor did not participate, the Superior Court of Sports Justice (STJD) also decided to impose a fine of 100,000 reais (around 18,000 euros) on the millionaire.

Textor, who is also boss of Olympique Lyonnais (L1), was accused of having violated two articles of the Brazilian Code of Sports Justice. In November 2023, he came out of his control after Botafogo's 4-3 defeat against Palmeiras, protesting against a red card received by one of his players while his team was leading 3-1, a quarter of an hour away. of the end. “It’s theft, corruption,” he said, beside himself, before demanding the resignation of the president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), Ednaldo Rodrigues.

He was initially suspended preventively for 30 days, a period later extended to 35 days. Having already served 28 days of suspension, he only has 17 days left to stay away from the field, according to the local press.

Owner of Botafogo since March 2022, the 58-year-old businessman created a heated controversy by denouncing alleged match-fixing in the Brazilian championship. He was heard on Monday by a commission of inquiry established at the initiative of the legendary former striker Romario, which is investigating suspicions of match-fixing. “Manipulation of results” in Brazilian football is a “reality,” Textor said.

Saying he relied on “proof” obtained by image analysis using artificial intelligence, he had in particular denounced alleged irregularities which would have benefited Palmeiras, winner of the Brazilian championship last year. He is also being prosecuted for not having presented evidence of his accusations to the sporting justice system. The date of the hearing has not yet been set.