Brazilian Soccer Player Indicted Over Spot-Fixing Charges

Brazilian soccer player Ênio has been indicted on charges of deliberately accumulating yellow cards for betting purposes while playing for top-tier club Juventude.

Prosecutors allege the player willingly collected yellow cards in at least two matches, on March 29 and May 10. The indictment stated that there was “an abnormal increase in bets on the ‘player card’ type of bet, indicating that bettors already had prior knowledge of the outcome of the play.”

Ênio is accused of concealing R$ 1.9 million ($360,000) obtained illegally. The indictment is part of Operation Totonero, launched on May 20 following reports of suspicious bets in a second match.

The 24-year-old’s home and locker were searched in the case; however, he continued to play for Juventude throughout the 2025 season. At the end of the campaign in December, Juventude were relegated from Serie A, the top division.

Ahead of the new season, Ênio signed on loan for Chapecoense, who gained promotion from Serie B to replace Juventude in Serie A. He was not on the squad for the club’s opening fixture over the weekend against Santos.

Early Suspicions, but Player Allegedly Repeated Scheme

In the March 29 match against Vitoria, Ênio was given a yellow card for complaining to the referee. Following the match, the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) reported suspicious bets on the player to be carded from 111 users, totaling around R$56,700 (around $10,000).

Juventude decided to drop Ênio for its next match against Botafogo. Officially, the club said this was due to a possible transfer, but the team’s coach, Fábio Matias, admitted to knowing about the betting investigation.

Matias commented, “We received the information on Thursday night, this alert in relation to what happened, together with the management. This was through the club president; we had a meeting to decide that he was out of this game here until the situation is concluded.”

The player denied the accusations. He took to Instagram to declare his “total innocence”. In a statement (translated from Portuguese), he said, “In my personal life, I have never been involved with any individual, group of people, or anything of value that aimed at something illegal, immoral, or dishonourable.”

He promised to fight the accusations, adding, “Given the seriousness of the accusations, appropriate legal measures are already being taken to prove my complete innocence and to hold accountable those who may be acting in bad faith or in a hasty manner.”

Second Suspicious Incident Soon Followed

He returned to the team on April 12 and was named man of the match after scoring in a 2-2 draw against Mirassol on April 20. He can be seen below holding the award, sponsored by betting platform Betano, while wearing the Juventude shirt, sponsored by Stake.

It was not long before the player was again involved in controversy, however. On May 10, he received a yellow card in the 38th minute in a match against Fortaleza for a foul. Juventude went on to lose the match, 5-0.

Again, sportsbooks alerted authorities to suspicious bets on the player to be carded. The club responded with its own statement, commenting, “Given the recurrence of the facts publicly disclosed and which motivated the opening of an investigation by the competent authorities involving the athlete Ênio, it will adopt, internally, the appropriate measures.”

The player was removed from the team for the next two matches, and on May 20, prosecutors raided his home and locker. However, he returned on June 1. He played 20 more times for the club and did not receive any further yellow cards.

Ênio has not publicly commented on his indictment. The case remains ongoing, and there is precedent for players continuing to play despite allegations of spot-fixing. Fellow Brazilian Lucas Paqueta was also accused of deliberately picking up yellow cards while playing for West Ham United in the Premier League. He was eventually cleared after a two-year investigation.