Match-Fixing: TAS 2021/A/8364 Marco Antonio Trovato Villalba v. FIFA

TAS 2021/A/8364 Marco Antonio Trovato Villalba v. FIFA

Date of the decision: 2025-08-21

Arbitrator(s): Wouter Lambrecht López Batet Jordi Miguel Cardenal Carro

In match-fixing cases, the admissibility of evidence, such as WhatsApp messages and forensic reports, does not constitute a procedural rights violation, in order to meet the comfortable satisfaction standard of proof.

Facts and Procedure

On 7 January 2020, the Paraguayan notary, Mr. Albino Doldán, received a complaint filed by Mr. Edgar Troche, alleging that he had exchanged WhatsApp conversations with Mr. Marco Antonio Trovato Villalba, then the president of Club Olimpia, with the purpose of manipulating several matches played by the club.

The conversations and other evidence, including a picture of a check, were later examined through forensic reports commissioned by FIFA.

On 24 September 2020, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee found Mr....

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