The match between Independiente Rivadavia and Fluminense, played in Mendoza, Argentina, on May 6, for the fourth round of the Libertadores group stage, is under Conmebol’s scrutiny.
According to ge, South American football’s governing body received a report of suspected match-fixing in the game.
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An “abnormal volume” of bets, detected by a small betting company in Argentina, on a yellow card in the match — which ended in a 1-1 draw — caught Conmebol’s attention.
And the suspicion is specifically about the yellow card received by defensive midfielder Tomás Bottari in the 36th minute of the first half, when the score was still 0-0.
On that occasion, the 25-year-old player used his arm to intercept a pass from Castillo to Lucho Acosta.
Also according to the report by journalists João Santana and Raphael Zarko, Conmebol declined to comment on the suspicion.
The body’s Disciplinary Code provides for up to five years of suspension in manipulation cases, if there is a conviction after the investigation. A lifetime ban for the suspect has also not been ruled out.
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There is also the possibility of punishment for the club with a loss, if manipulation by the player is proven.
Independiente Rivadavia leads Group C with 13 points and has already qualified for the round of 16, with first place secured, while still competing for the top overall spot in the Libertadores.
With five points and battling Bolívar, who has the same tally, for second place, Fluminense faces La Guaira next Wednesday (27) needing to win and hope against the Bolivians to avoid an early elimination.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.
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