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March 10, 2024:  Responses to Questions from Journalist Mauricio Noriega from CNN.

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Ten questions that John Textor, owner of Botafogo, needs to answer

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I would like to thank Mr. Noriega for his questions. I would actually prefer to be asked clear questions, that have a clear opportunity to be answered, than watch wild speculation in the press by journalists that often demonstrate a strong bias.

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Introductory point of importance: Talk of the Audio is a distraction. The Match-Fixing evidence we have presented to authorities is entirely unrelated to the audio recording and I have never suggested a connection between the audio and our match-fixing evidence. Our discussion of the audio is, however, important to demonstrate an environment of corruption in football, in Brazil and globally, that remains a constant threat to the integrity of our game. I have also discussed the importance of this specific audio, as I am disappointed that the audio has been in the hands of authorities for a significant amount of time and the referee involved (I believe) has not still been prosecuted. It is my understanding that he is still an active referee.

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Numbered Questions from Mr. Norieaga, in bold, with responses to follow:

 

1)  When is the audio that he claims to be from a referee charging the alleged payment of a bribe that would not have been done yet? From 2021, 22 or 23?

 

Talk of the Audio is a distraction. The Match-Fixing evidence we have presented to authorities is entirely unrelated to the audio recording and I have never suggested a connection between the audio and our match-fixing evidence. Our discussion of the audio is, however, important to demonstrate an environment of corruption in football, in Brazil and globally, that remains a constant threat to the integrity of our game. I have also discussed the importance of this specific audio, as I am disappointed that the audio has been in the hands of authorities for a significant amount of time and the referee involved (I believe) has not still been prosecuted. It is my understanding that he is still an active referee.

 

2)  Will the audio clarify if the bribe was actually paid?

 

Again, this audio tape is irrelevant to our current match-fixing allegations.

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3)  Will the recordings reveal who is the corrupt and who was corrupted?

 

It is not our place to comment on a lower division game that does not involve our club, but it is true that the identity of the referee in the recording is well known to authorities.

 

​4)  What is the purpose of the alleged bribe? Favor team A or B or harm C or D?

 

No knowledge, and irrelevant to our matter.

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5)  Textor bought Botafogo in March 2022. The team was in Serie B in 2021, the year in which it puts in doubt the smoothness of the Brazilian Championship. Would the 2021 Serie B also be under suspicion?

 

Our evidence only relates to Serie A, and we have discovered evidence of match manipulation in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

 

The global firm that we used to confirm match-fixing had been working in Brasil, for other clients, before they were hired by Botafogo. It was that firm, without our involvement, that identified a 2022 game in Serie A, and notified the CBF – again, before our involvement. We are merely bringing this forward now, because we believe the CBF should have taken this more seriously, which might have prevented our serious problems in 2023. Though, to be clear, I am sure 2022 was just as serious for the teams affected in 2022. Match-fixing affects us all.

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​6)  If the recordings are prior to the outcome of the Brazilian Serie A of 2023, why did Textor decide to reveal everything only now?

 

The recording was provided to me by a credible person connected to a governing body, so there was no need for me to produce such evidence to authorities. The question as to why this recording was not previously investigated or publicly reported is an appropriate question, but not for me to answer.

 

7)  How were the recordings obtained?

 

Answered above.

 

8)  If Botafogo had been champion in 2023, would the alleged irregularities that occurred in previous years have been ignored by him?

 

This does not seem like a question. This seems more like an editorial comment. I hope the journalist is not implying that we would not have cared about corruption, if it did not harm Botafogo. We are very serious about raising the level and global importance of Brasil football, and corruption works against those objectives. That said, I will respond.  

 

I would have reported the irregularities in 2023 as it became obvious (to me) during the middle of the campaign that matches were being manipulated. Obviously, it would be a concern to ANY owner of a club if matches were being manipulated. 

 

I would NOT have discovered and reported the irregularities in 2022 and 2021 if the STJD had taken seriously our request for an investigation. I do not view the responsibility of investigation to be that of a single football club. This very expensive investigation, that we have conducted, should have been funded and overseen by a governing body. Then, after considerable time and expense as we conducted our investigation, we discovered the problem (affecting matches of the same club) also occurred in 2022 and 2021.

 

9)  Will the recordings explain the ten matches without victory of the team in the final stretch of the Brazilian of 2023? Is there a bribe for each game in which each of them took place?

 

Again, the question above does not seem like an important question. It’s an editorial comment revealing bias. The journalist knows that every ‘three points’ in a championship campaign matters, and every event and game result affects future events (for our team and for the opponents chasing us). One manipulated game, at a critical part of the season, is enough to compromise the integrity of the entire season. 

 

That said, since the journalist questions do seem to be turning editorial, I am happy to elaborate for his curiosity. It is our belief, based on what we have discovered thus far, that a significant number of additional games are likely to be discovered as manipulated. We are only a single club, and we do not have the investigative powers of a government. It is long overdue that governing body or a prosecutor investigate the 2023 season. Our club should not have to investigate obvious cases of manipulation. We would be allowed to focus on football – and our players and supporters should have the confidence to know that if we perform well enough to win the championship on the field, that we should not lose the championship because of external factors that are allowed to continue off of the field.

 

To be clear, if PROVE match fixing occurred in only one game, we must all agree that it is unlikely to have only occurred in one game. To believe so would be intellectually bankrupt.

 

10)  Will the content of the recordings be enough material to cancel games and give Botafogo the title that the team lost on the field?

 

No, the recordings are not related to Botafogo games.

 

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In closing, given the obvious confusion over the audio recording, I am sure the questions would have been different, if asked again.  In closing, I would suggest additional questions – and I would also invite Mr. Noriega to ask more questions. I would be happy to use this update page to provide responses to more relevant questions.  Here are a couple of proposed questions that might have been more relevant…

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Why have you not made your evidence available to the STJD?

 

We tried, and we were ignored.  It remains true that the STJD was presented with a +70-page report, several weeks ago, describing credible scientific evidence of match-fixing in an important game in the 2023 Brasilian championship. We provided submitted this preliminary, but convincing evidence in connection with our request for the STJD to initiate an investigation.  Unfortunately, this report was ignored and given no consideration by individuals that likely did not have the capacity, or the personal interest, in properly evaluating the evidence. 

 

It is, therefore, disingenuous for the STJD to publicly demand evidence to be delivered into their possession, within 3 days, when they have chosen to ignore for the last four months our repeated requests for the STJD to review our evidence. To understand the allegations we are making, they only need to initiate an honest review of the evidence we have already provided to them. It is disingenuous of the STJD to create publicity and confusion over our failure to provide evidence when they have rejected all of our prior attempts to have them review our evidence.

 

Today, with considerably more evidence in hand, we have chosen to move beyond the STJD and present our evidence to federal investigators and prosecutors that have expressed an obvious interest in reviewing such evidence.

 

Why have you not made your evidence available to the public?

 

We have tried to keep our match-fixing evidence away from the press, until judicial authorities review the evidence and initiate investigations. 

 

Accused individuals and organizations have the right to be properly notified and they have a right to defend themselves. Our experts have a 100% proven track-record over many years of identifying match-fixing, but we have to allow for the possibility that innocent people get falsely accused. For example, a game can be determined to have been illegally manipulated, but it’s possible that certain individuals that are involved in key moments of a manipulated match are innocent. So, all of this information must remain confidential, until the proper authorities complete their investigations, to protect the rights of the accused and especially the rights of the innocent.

 

What’s next?

 

Hopefully we will have proven enough, with our current dossier of evidence, to start a full investigation. The people and players of Botafogo already know what really happened in our 2023 championship campaign – so it is ‘old news’ for us. Now it’s time for the rest of the world to know. At Botafogo, we just want to play football again - in a LEAGUE that has integrity and accountability.

 

…and, yes, that’s a hint. We must have the League!