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Flamengo’s Bruno Henrique Avoids Suspension After STJD Ruling
Brasília, Brazil – Flamengo forward Bruno Henrique will not face a suspension from play after the Superior Tribunal de Justiça Desportiva (STJD) ruled in his favor regarding a yellow card received during a match at mané Garrincha stadium in Brasília. The decision,reached after an appeal by the defense,centers around whether the card was intentionally sought to manipulate future game availability.
Bruno Henrique was initially denounced by the STJD in August, facing potential conviction under two articles of the Brazilian Code of sports Justice (CBJD). Article 243-A carried a potential penalty of 12 to 24 matches suspension and a fine of R$100 to R$100 thousand. Article 243, a broader charge concerning actions “deliberately acting in a way that is harmful to the team you are defending,” could have resulted in a suspension of 180 to 720 days – up to two years.
However, the Plenary ultimately convicted Henrique under Article 191, a more general charge relating to failure to comply with competition regulations without a specific infraction, resulting in no suspension of games.
The 6-3 decision hinged on the defense’s argument that the yellow card was not intended to harm Flamengo. Instead, they successfully argued it was part of a pre-planned strategy by the technical committee to ensure Henrique would be suspended for a less critical match against Fortaleza, allowing him to be available for a subsequent game against Palmeiras – both Brasileirão commitments last year.
“The Plenary’s decision was not taken unanimously…but the defense managed to convince most of the auditors that the card forced by Bruno Henrique was not taken to harm the club,” the STJD ruling effectively stated.
The case sparked debate around the common football tactic of players strategically seeking yellow cards before less important matches. The defense successfully positioned the incident as occurring within this “routine context,” weakening accusations that Bruno Henrique’s brother, Wander Nunes Pinto Júnior, had passed privileged information to bettors.
Flamengo’s defense,led by lawyer Michel Asseff Filho,successfully argued there was no manipulation of results or bad faith. The club actively supported Henrique’s legal team, demonstrating to the court that they did not feel harmed by the incident.
The Pleno represents the final instance of appeal within the STJD. With no further appeals possible, Bruno Henrique is now cleared to play. Flamengo will return to action this Saturday at 6:30 pm, visiting sport in a Brasileirão match.
