Nottingham Forest star returns to homeland after losing £1m to cryptocurrency

15 March 2023 , 18:13

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Gustavo Scarpa was granted permission to return to Brazil (Image: Jon Hobley/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Nottingham Forest gave Brazilian midfielder Gustavo Scarpa permission to return home after the star lost £1million in an alleged cryptocurrency fraud.

Attacking ace Scarpa, 29, joined Forest in January on a free transfer from Palmeiras in his homeland. However, he has not played in Forest’s last four games after being caught up in financial turmoil in Brazil.

The star is involved in a legal claim with three companies including WLJC, which promised returns of three-and-a-half to five per cent per month on investments. But the firm failed to pay up to Scarpa and another Palmeiras player, Mayke, when they tried to get their money back.

Scarpa has since returned to Brazil to help pursue his claim and is only just back training at Forest. Reds boss Steve Cooper admitted: “I can tell you that he has had some personal issues to sort out and we are giving him our support, which is inclusive of allowing him to travel back.

“I don’t really think it’s right to go into the ins and outs of the situation. We’re supporting Gustavo in terms of what he’s going through and, of course, it affects football performance and availability, and all that sort of stuff.

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“Those things go hand in hand, of course. We want him settled in his mind and sorting out the situation. It’s an unfortunate situation and he’s got our full support with it. Hopefully, he can get it sorted out and then focus on his availability for us.”

Scarpa has not featured in Forest's last two squads but could return on Friday for the visit of Newcastle when the hosts look to end a run of five games without a win. The attacking midfielder, who earned his sole cap for Brazil in 2017, has spoken of how moving to the Premier League was the “fulfilment of a dream” and underlined his desire to make a success of his time at the City Ground.

Gustavo Scarpa has made four Premier League appearances for Nottingham Forest (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

“I was surprised because everything happened so fast, starting to play, having opportunities,” he told UOL. “Now, I’m having a little less, but I think it’s normal, everyone goes through it, I’ve been through it myself a few times in Brazil.

“The choice to come here was very much the fulfilment of a dream. And I’m a person who, you can tell even by my hobbies I have, I insist until I succeed. I don’t want to just get here, stay six months, say ‘I’ve had my experience and I’m going back to Brazil’, because that would be very comfortable. But what I seek nowadays is not comfort, in fact it never was.”

James Nursey