Flamengo footballer banned for 12 games and fined over betting scandal
Summary
Flamengo forward Bruno Henrique has been suspended for 12 matches and fined BRL60,000 after Brazil’s Superior Court of Sports Justice (STJD) found he acted to influence the outcome of a 2023 match by intentionally seeking a yellow card for betting reasons. The ruling followed a Federal Police inquiry and a Sportradar report that flagged an unusual cluster of bets on Henrique receiving a yellow card, all placed from accounts in his hometown region.
The STJD acquitted Henrique of intentionally harming his own team (Article 243) but found him guilty of Article 243-A (influencing a match). Four amateur athletes – including three friends and Henrique’s brother, Wander Nunes Pinto Junior – were also sanctioned; the brother was described as the organiser and received a reduced 12-match ban. The lower-court decision can be appealed, and the STJD will notify the Brazilian Football Confederation so FIFA can be asked to extend the sanctions internationally. Flamengo maintains its support for Henrique.
Author style
Punchy: This is a clear-cut sports-integrity headline with real regulatory teeth — suspensions, cross-border registration implications and a documented betting pattern flagged by Sportradar. Worth a closer read if you track betting compliance or football governance.
Key Points
- Bruno Henrique suspended for 12 matches and fined BRL60,000 after an STJD ruling.
- He was found guilty of influencing the outcome (Article 243-A) but acquitted of deliberately harming Flamengo (Article 243).
- Investigation by the Federal Police and a Sportradar report found multiple suspicious bets on Henrique receiving a yellow card, all from his hometown region.
- Four amateur athletes, including Henrique’s brother (identified as the organiser), received bans; the brother’s original 24-match penalty was halved to 12 as he is an amateur.
- The decision can be appealed; the STJD will notify the Brazilian Football Confederation and request FIFA registration effects so sanctions apply internationally.
Why should I read this?
Short version: if you care about sports integrity, betting compliance or the reputational risks for clubs and players, this matters. It shows how monitoring firms and police inquiries can turn up concentrated betting patterns, how disciplinary bodies punish match-influencing behaviour, and how sanctions can travel beyond domestic leagues. Also, Flamengo still backs the player — which adds a political angle to watch as any appeal plays out.
