Brazilian club Palmeiras filed a complaint against John Texter in the country's top sports court on Tuesday after an American executive raised allegations of match-fixing.
Mr Texter, who runs Brazilian top club Botafogo at Eagle Football, accused defending champions Palmeiras of being the beneficiaries of a match-fixing scheme.
Palmeiras said in a statement that nine players from Fortaleza and São Paulo FC have been accused of underperforming in two Brazilian league matches against Palmeiras in the 2022 and 2023 seasons after receiving Textor's comments this week. announced that they had filed a complaint.
Both Fortaleza and São Paulo FC announced on Monday night that they were considering legal action against Texter.
Botafogo squandered a 13-point lead and missed out on the National League title last year.
Texter said his claims were based on an artificial intelligence data-driven report he received, but he declined to provide further details. He did not respond to messages sent to Botafogo seeking comment from the club or Texter.
Palmeiras said it was seeking a fine and suspension from the American businessman. The São Paulo-based club added: “We will never again talk about the bizarre attempts of stupid football executives to justify their elimination in the 2023 Brazilian Championship.”
Palmeiras won the 2023 title with 70 points, while Botafogo finished fifth with 64 points.
“If the accusations are true, we must praise him. If they are false, he should be expelled from football,” Sen. Jorge Cajuru said on Tuesday.
Mr. Cajuru, a former sports reporter, also said he was angry that Mr. Texter refused to provide evidence, but added that Brazil's Congress should investigate the accusations.
Eagle Football also has stakes in Premier League club Crystal Palace and seven-time French champions Lyon.
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