Ministry speaks out after controversy involving Flamengo and Palmeiras

247 - The Ministry of Sport released an official statement this Friday (17) to respond to the controversy generated after Flamengo publicly complained about a surprise action by the Brazilian Anti-Doping Control Authority (ABCD) at its training center. The entity informed that the procedure followed all international protocols and highlighted that Palmeiras was also subjected to the same type of control on the same day.

The demonstration takes place amid an intense exchange of accusations between Flamengo and Palmeiras fans on social media, two days before the duel between the clubs, on Sunday (19), at Maracanã, for the 29th round of the Brazilian Championship — considered by many an “early final”. Palmeiras leads the tournament with 61 points, closely followed by Flamengo, which has 58.

Earlier, Flamengo released an official statement claiming that the ABCD's action, carried out on Friday morning at Ninho do Urubu, had "disrupted the scheduled routine" and "unduly exposed the group's privacy." According to the club, representatives of the anti-doping authority watched "the team's tactical movements in their entirety" before the decisive training session, interrupting the warm-up and delaying the activities.

The Flamengo reaction ignited social media. Fans accused ABCD of acting to "harm the team" and even "favor Palmeiras," amidst an already tense atmosphere due to accusations of alleged refereeing interference in previous rounds.

However, a few hours later, journalist André Hernan, from ESPN, revealed that Palmeiras also received a visit from ABCD on Friday afternoon at its Football Academy, where tests were carried out on players from the squad. According to him, this was the fifth time in 2025 that Palmeiras players underwent anti-doping tests — three by ABCD and two by Conmebol.

In response to the public reaction, the Ministry of Sport and ABCD released a joint statement on social media reaffirming that "the actions are in full compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code, the Brazilian Anti-Doping Code (CBA), and the International Standard for Testing and Investigations of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)."

 "Anti-doping testing is part of an athlete's career and should be recognized as a routine activity. If these teams are equally relevant, they will be treated equally, without compromising the secrecy and confidentiality of the missions," the text says.

The statement reinforces that tests can be carried out at any time and in any place, including during training, "without prior notice," with the aim of ensuring the unpredictability and effectiveness of the national anti-doping system.

ABCD also explained that the officials act with absolute discretion and respect the privacy of the athletes and teams, accompanying the players only until the end of training, "so as not to interfere with the sporting routine."

The statement further emphasizes that national tests do not replace or interfere with those conducted by international entities, such as CONMEBOL, and that the planning of the tests is technical, based on criteria such as random selection, risk, and representativeness.