November 11: South American governing body Conmebol has fined Flamengo for its messages against Brazil’s betting ban.
Conmebol slapped the Rio club with four fines, totaling $36,000, including messages the club displayed during the semi-final first leg at home against Estudiantes in the Copa Libertadores, South America’s top club competition.
Part of the message was a protest against the recently announced ban on sports betting in Brazil, with the words “to ban is not to protect” emblazoned on the team’s shirt. Conmebol ruled that the message was a violation of article 5.8 of the disciplinary code of the Copa Libertadores, which sets out the rules on what clubs can display on their shirts. Ahead of Brazil’s presidential election, Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva imposed a blanket ban on sports betting in the country, citing public health and household debt. The ban prompted a huge backlash from clubs including Flamengo, the current league leaders with a nationwide fan base.
The vast majority of elite clubs have sponsorship deals with betting operators.
Earlier this week, Brazil’s supreme court ordered the suspension of all ongoing lawsuits in lower courts over Interim Measure No. 1,394, which banned fixed-odds betting platforms. The attorney general who had filed the petition argued that a lower court favoring the betting operators would create legal uncertainty in Brazil.
Flamengo was also fined $15,000 for the use of flags and bombs by fans and fined $5,000 for objects thrown onto the field by supporters.
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