A PREMIER league star has fled to his homeland after losing £1million in an alleged crypto scam.
Nottingham Forest’s Gustavo Scarpa, 29, has missed four games after flying back to Brazil to deal with rogue cryptocurrency investors.
The attacking ace arrived in the UK on a free transfer from Palmeiras in November.
But he’s been given special permission to return home to battle three companies that promised high returns on investments.
The firms failed to pay up when Scarpa asked for his money back, according to Brazil’s ESPN.
Head coach Steve Cooper admitted the player had been badly affected by the scam.
He said: “I can tell you that he has had some personal issues to sort out and we are giving him our support, which has been inclusive of allowing him to travel back [to Brazil].”
Scarpa was last on the pitch during the 2-0 defeat against Fulham last month.
He was an unused substitute against Manchester City and West Ham United.
And he wasn’t part of the squad at all against Everton and Tottenham Hotspur.
Scarpa made the investment in May last year, according to reports.
He was promised returns of 3.5 to five per cent – but he has since been unable to claim his money back.
The footballer has taken three companies to the 10th Civil Court of São Paulo.
Last year Scarpa became Nottingham Forest’s 24th signing since they earned a promotion to the Premier League.
In December he was spotted skate-boarding around the city centre as he got to know his new home.
Scarpa had one cap for Brazil and was looking forward to his next challenge.
He said at the time: “I’m very happy to be here, it’s a dream for me.
“It’s a new challenge and I can’t wait for it to begin. It’s always been an ambition since I was a little kid to play in Europe, and my dream is to play in the Premier League.
“I’m a technical player but also I’ve developed my game defensively over the past couple of seasons.
“I’m very dedicated, hard-working and I’m excited to get started now.”
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