Flamengo Lawyer Challenges Bruno Henrique’s Suspension and Outlines Appeal

According to SporTV, Michel Assef Filho, Bruno Henrique’s lawyer and legal representative for Flamengo, pushed back against claims that the striker’s suspension was “lenient.” The Superior Sports Justice Tribunal (STJD) handed the forward a 12-game ban and a fine of 60,000 reais for alleged betting-related misconduct, a punishment the defense considers excessive.

“I’ve heard a lot of talk that the sanction was mild. What happened with Bruno Henrique has nothing to do with previous cases. It’s clear he shouldn’t have been punished under Article 243-A. What this rule seeks to prevent is fraud within the game. In other cases, players made deals to manipulate results. Bruno had simply planned to take a third yellow card, something that’s part of the game’s strategy,” Assef argued.

He added that the issue has been misunderstood: “I’m concerned about the idea that the penalty was light. It wasn’t. On the contrary, it was exaggerated. There was no privileged information, and certainly no match-fixing.”

The defense will appeal to the STJD’s full panel on two fronts: seeking recognition of the statute of limitations and challenging the application of Article 243-A. Lawyers insist Bruno Henrique’s actions did not amount to unethical or anticompetitive behavior.

For now, the suspension must be served in Brazilian league matches, unless the Prosecutor’s Office files a request to extend it to other competitions. Meanwhile, the Federal District court upheld its decision not to prosecute the player for fraud, citing insufficient evidence. Judge Fernando Brandini Barbagalo ruled that only the charge of sports fraud remains, dismissing a proposed multimillion-real bond.

The case now moves to a higher court. Bruno Henrique, along with his brother and seven others, was accused of warning before a match against Santos in November 2023 that he intended to receive a yellow card, at a time when he was already on two cautions in the league.