CONMEBOL have sanctioned Flamengo after matchday messaging connected to Brazil’s betting crackdown. The governing body ruled the club’s shirt display breached Copa Libertadores disciplinary regulations, with the protest message targeted at the country’s ban on sports betting.
During the semi-final home leg against Estudiantes, Flamengo shirts carried ‘prohibiting is not protecting’, a direct challenge to the policy introduced by Brazil’s government. CONMEBOL said the wording infringed article 5.8 of the Libertadores disciplinary code, which governs what clubs are permitted to display on their kits.
Betting ban and legal pressure in Brazil
The background is Brazil’s wider political and legal fight over fixed-odds betting. The ban was introduced by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who cited public health concerns and the effect on indebted families as reasons for prohibiting sports betting.
Legal uncertainty has followed. Earlier this week, Brazil’s Supreme Court ordered a stay on ongoing lawsuits in lower courts relating to Provisional Measure No. 1,394, which introduced the betting restrictions. The prosecutor general who pushed for the stay argued that inconsistent decisions by lower courts favouring betting operators could create instability in the legal landscape.
Flamengo are not alone in facing the practical fallout from the ban. Many elite Brazilian clubs have commercial arrangements with betting operators, meaning any restriction can quickly become a wider sporting and business issue rather than a purely political one.
The Libertadores disciplinary action went beyond the shirt protest. Flamengo were also fined $15,000 for the use of flags and bombs by fans, and a further $5,000 after objects were thrown towards the field.
For Flamengo, the ruling is a reminder that even when clubs are campaigning on public issues, CONMEBOL’s competition rules on kit and messaging can still trigger sanctions. Any further incidents around the club’s matchday displays or supporter conduct could also carry additional disciplinary consequences as the Libertadores campaign moves through its later stages.
