Caso Paquetá: possível punição cabe à FA que pode pedir a Fifa internacionalização de penas
Jogador Lucas Paquetá. Foto: Bruno Pacheco / CBF

Brazilian midfielder Lucas Paquetá has been under investigation since August for a possible sports betting violation.

The Football Association (FA), the English football federation, did not set a deadline for releasing the verdict, but has been strict in its punishments, as was the case with the Brentford and England striker, Ivan Toney. He was punished by the federation with an eight-month suspension.

Sanctions resulting from match manipulation may have their penalties increased worldwide, as long as the Regional Federation of each country requests FIFA.

In fact, on September 11th, FIFA announced the internationalization of penalties for match-fixing in Brazil.

The decision comes from a request made by the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation), and which is based on the sanctions applied by the Superior Court of Sports Justice for Football (STJD).

The internationalization and expansion of penalties worldwide is possible due to article 70 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.

“Referring to FIFA’s recent decision, this is an important decision that strengthens the integrity of sport and demonstrates that cases like these involving sports betting and manipulation of results cannot be accepted in the sporting world”, commented Matheus Laupman, lawyer at the firm Murta & Goyanes, specialized in sports law.

“In relation to Paquetá, investigations are taking place within the scope of English football, so decisions will be imposed by the FA. Now, it remains to wait for the progress of the process and, if the allegations are proven, to see whether the English federation will appeal to FIFA to internationalize its sanctions, which can be serious, from suspension to the most serious such as banning”, he added.

According to a document on the FA’s official website, the ban on betting involves results, progress, conduct and any other aspects occurring in or in connection with a game or sporting competition.

The document also prohibits betting in relation to football anywhere in the world on player transfers, hiring coaches, calling up national teams or disciplinary problems. The sharing of privileged information is also prohibited.

Paquetá’s alleged involvement with sports betting

The English federation is investigating bets made on accounts linked to people close to Lucas Paquetá. The FA is investigating a complaint it received about a bet on a yellow card for the midfielder.

The investigation began with an unusual volume of matched bets on two duels held on the same day, one in the English Championship, the other in the Spanish Championship.

Real-Betis - Paquetá Bets
Luiz Henrique, from Betis. Photo: Disclosure / Betis Twitter

The matched bet predicted that Lucas Paquetá would receive a yellow card in the game between West Ham and Aston Villa, in the Premier League.

And also that Luiz Henrique would be warned with yellow in the match between Real Betis (his team) and Villareal. The two athletes were warned with yellow cards.

Bets were placed in Duque de Caxias on the Betway website, the house that sponsors West Ham, on accounts linked to people close to Paquetá and Luiz Henrique.

Despite continuing to play for West Ham, Paquetá was barred from the last call-up to the Brazilian national team and his negotiations with Manchester City were interrupted.

The two Brazilian players were summoned for immediate clarification to the sports betting CPI in the Chamber of Deputies.