Sport Club Internacional admits using fake VAR audio in Victor Gabriel case
Sport Club Internacional acknowledged that a parody audio, presented as a VAR communication, was used by its legal team in the defence of defender Victor Gabriel during a hearing before the Superior Tribunal de Justiça Desportiva (STJD). The club said the material was obtained from third‑party sources, that the error was recognised promptly, and that there was no intention to mislead the tribunal.
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) confirmed that neither Internacional nor Cruzeiro had formally requested the official VAR audio. Vice‑president Jorge Filho later stated that the law firm Cravo, Pastl & Balbuena, which provided the faulty audio, will continue to serve the club. Victor Gabriel received a suspension of up to 180 days for a hard foul on Cruzeiro's Gabriel Pec, with the possibility of a reduced term if the opponent recovers earlier.
The incident has sparked discussion about the handling of evidentiary material in disciplinary proceedings and may prompt tighter controls on access to VAR communications.
Entities: Cravo, Pastl & Balbuena Advogados Associados · Jorge Filho · Sport Club Internacional · Superior Tribunal de Justiça Desportiva (STJD) · Victor Gabriel
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Vice‑president Jorge Filho said the law firm would continue providing services to the club. (article c3ead8d4-d6df-4380-9842-4200109eab78)
- [● 2 SOURCES] CBF confirmed that neither Internacional nor Cruzeiro requested official VAR audio. (articles becca62a-26b7-4baa-a643-ab045133b942, 59b9a9c5-d5fa-4bd2-91d9-6cf949ecbc13)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Victor Gabriel was suspended for up to 180 days for a hard foul on Cruzeiro's Gabriel Pec. (article c3ead8d4-d6df-4380-9842-4200109eab78)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The law firm Cravo, Pastl & Balbuena supplied the fake audio in Victor Gabriel's defence. (articles becca62a-26b7-4baa-a643-ab045133b942, 59b9a9c5-d5fa-4bd2-91d9-6cf949ecbc13)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Internacional admitted the error and said there was no intent to mislead the STJD. (articles becca62a-26b7-4baa-a643-ab045133b942, 59b9a9c5-d5fa-4bd2-91d9-6cf949ecbc13)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Sport Club Internacional used a fake VAR audio in the defence of Victor Gabriel during the STJD hearing. (articles becca62a-26b7-4baa-a643-ab045133b942, 59b9a9c5-d5fa-4bd2-91d9-6cf949ecbc13)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The audio was a parody circulating on social media, not an official VAR communication. (articles becca62a-26b7-4baa-a643-ab045133b942, 59b9a9c5-d5fa-4bd2-91d9-6cf949ecbc13)