The discussion about the 2005 Brazilian Championship surfaced after Internacional requested the recognition of the title, which stayed with Corinthians. Amid the controversy involving the “whistle mafia”, Mano Menezes said the São Paulo club was also the victim of the results manipulation scheme.
The case gained new contours after contradictory statements of. In a recent interview, he stated that the title should belong to the International, contrary to previous statement in which he had said that the conquest of Corinthians was fair.
Controversial decision at the time
the decision was to redo only the matches whistled by Edilson Pereira de Carvalho. However, experts point out that this solution was not ideal, as it would be impossible to reproduce the same conditions as the original matches.
One of the most controversial games involved Internacional and Corinthians, with controversial throws such as an unmarked penalty for the gaucho team and the questionable expulsion of the player Tinga. Despite the contestations, the championship followed its course after the reschedule of the affected matches.
Historical precedents
The discussion about historical repairs in football is not new. Emblematic cases include the 1978 World Cup, won by Argentina amid suspicions of handling, and the Brazilian title of 1973, which was divided between Santos and Portuguese after a penalty shootout.
For Mano Menezes, the best solution in 2005 would have been the full cancellation of the championship. However, commercial pressures and the need to maintain the calendar caused the competition to continue, even with the evidence of manipulation.
