In an interview with Brazilian beat writer Davi Sampaio, agent Régis Oliveira guarantees that he intends to bring Max to Brazil after the Colorado Rapids removed him.
According to Sampaio, Régis Oliveira, who reps the athlete in Brazil, says he had a quick contact with Max Alves, who is still in the United States, by telephone.
Last night, the league and Club announced the preventive removal of the athlete from training until their investigation concluded. “He is very sorry, heartbroken, and feeling very down. He texted me, feeling very awkward about the situation, and thanked me for everything I did for him. But he will not hide. If he’s guilty, he’ll show up”, guarantees Régis.
READ MORE: Colorado Rapids player allegedly involved in Brazilian gambling scheme
Max played 45 minutes in the Colorado Rapids 4-2 victory over USL‘s Sacramento Republic before leaving at the half. He will not be present for this team’s next game for the 12th Match week of the regular season in Major League Soccer, a huge blow for Robin Fraser’s side since the athlete has appeared in 10 games, starting 7 of them. He could face 2–6 years in prison at home if found guilty.
How we feeling at the half, #Rapids96 fans?#SACvCOL | #USOC2023 pic.twitter.com/Ds5vk2tmxK
— Colorado Rapids (@ColoradoRapids) May 10, 2023
Operation Maximum Penalty
Max joins an extensive list of athletes, including high-profile center back Eduardo Bauermann from Santos FC, who are implicated in the Maximum Penalty schema, the name of the Brazilian investigation where allegedly athletes would receive kickbacks for helping certain prop bets come to reality, such as the number of bookings or corner kicks.
Update – May 18:
The contents of our article have been altered since the original publication.
Território MLS contacted Regis and Max’s team, who clarified that his comments were taken out of context by his quick conversation over the phone with the Minas Gerais state publication, saying he felt “sorry” for the incident but that it implied a sense of guilt, which wasn’t the case. “Max is just upset and certainly feels sorry, but for all the media attention he’s causing, that’s all.” said the agent.
Capa: Colorado Rapids / Twitter