A court in Brazil has handed out a lifetime ban to a soccer player for his involvement in a major match-fixing scheme.
Marcus Vinícius Alves “Romário” also has to pay a R$25,000 (US$4,981) fine following the decision on Monday. The 21-year-old was found to have influenced the outcome of a game, allegedly offering bribes to fellow players to take part in the match-fixing.
Another player, Gabriel Domingos, received a 720-day suspension from the sport and a R$15,000 (US$2,988) fine for his role in the match-fixing network. He was deemed to have deliberately acted in a way that was detrimental to a defending team during a game after accepting a bribe. Both former Vila Nova players have the ability to appeal the court’s decisions.
network allegedly committed fraud in at least 13 soccer games
The match-fixing scandal first came to light a few months ago. The network allegedly committed fraud in at least 13 soccer games, eight of which were in Brazil’s top division. A total of 16 people are currently facing charges, including seven players. One of the players in hot water is Colorado Rapids midfielder Max Alves, who allegedly accepted a US$12,000 bribe to earn a yellow card in an MLS game.