Brazilian striker Gabriel “Gabigol” Barbosa was arrested early Sunday with some 200 other people at a clandestine Sao Paulo casino found to be flouting coronavirus distancing rules, state authorities said.
Health inspectors and police were alerted to a large gathering at the illegal establishment in the rich Vila Olimpia neighborhood.
On arrival, they witnessed people “flagrantly consuming alcohol, violating social distancing rules and without wearing masks,” the Sao Paulo authority said in a statement.
Gabigol, 24, was brought to a police station and released after signing a document promising to return to give testimony, it added.
Read AlsoFA investigates Palace midfielder Eze over apparent Covid-19 breach
The young athlete, who plays for both the Rio de Janeiro team Flamengo and the national team, played down the incident in an interview with Globonews.“I don’t usually gamble,” he said. “I was with my friends and we went to eat.”
He said he always wears a mask, and had been moving to leave the casino — after seeing how crowded it was — when the police arrived
