The rivalry between John Textor and Palmeiras seems to be a never-ending story, as after several months of lawsuits, accusations and even a lawsuit from the CBF, the American owner of Botafogo claims to have irrefutable evidence showing that Palmeiras benefited of match-fixing.
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This conflict began in November 2023, when Textor strongly criticized the refereeing after the controversial defeat against Palmeiras in Brasileirão. Since then, Textor has declared war on Verdão, corrupt referees and even the CBF. Now, with these statements, he claims to have evidence to bring Palmeiras to justice: “ We have irrefutable and 100% confirmed evidence. ”
This Monday, Textor appeared in front of the microphones of the YouTube channel, Canal Do Medeiros, where he affirmed, with supporting evidence, that Palmeiras had benefited from match-fixing in at least two matches: “ Last year was a madness. You know I’m not going to let what happened last year go uninvestigated. We have a new season ahead of us. We have irrefutable evidence, 100% confirmed, that Palmeiras benefited from match-fixing for at least two seasons. ”
“ I’m sorry if this is creating a lot of fuss, but my evidence is one hundred percent reliable. They will be presented to the prosecutors so that we can play football. I am here to defend the honor of our club, the players must play, the fans must support. But it’s a fight. I can assure you that no one will manipulate our matches this year. ”
@Botafogo 2023 Brasileirão Match-fix Update #1https://t.co/dyzAGPf6Eb
— John Textor (@_JohnTextor_) April 2, 2024
This evidence, obtained through expert analysis and the use of artificial intelligence, purports to demonstrate that certain players may have been involved in match-fixing, thus favoring Palmeiras. He mentioned two specific encounters where this could have happened:
Palmeiras vs Fortaleza (November 2, 2022)
Palmeiras vs São Paulo (October 25, 2023)
Textor says it will not release the names of the players involved, but will forward this evidence to the appropriate authorities.
Palmeiras’ response to John Textor’s accusations
Following these accusations, Palmeiras defended itself through an official statement in which it totally rejects the theories of the owner of Botafogo, further claiming that they will sue him for his “ irresponsible and frivolous accusations in a strange attempt to justify the loss of the Brazilian title of 2023 “.
