West Ham and Brazilian national team player Lucas Paquetá will have more time to present his defense in the investigation in which he is accused of illegal involvement in sports betting. Among other possible punishments, he could face a lifetime ban from football.
The Independent Committee that examines the case granted a request made by the midfielder’s lawyers, who until last Monday, 3, to deliver their allegations. There is no date for the new deadline.
The Football Association of England sent a detailed complaint, almost two thousand pages long, to the FIFA Disciplinary Commission. In the complaint, they accuse the player of being part of a manipulation scheme for having received a yellow card in four matches.
Thus, it would have favored relatives, friends and acquaintances of people who have a close relationship with Lucas Paquetá. According to the British newspaper The Sun, all bets would have been placed from Paquetá Island, in Rio de Janeiro, where the midfielder was born.
It is estimated that around 60 people bet that the Brazilian would be warned by the judge in one or more of these clashes. The punters involved raised around 100,000 pounds – the equivalent of 675,000 reais.
However, the value of the earnings does not reach what the athlete receives in a week’s salary in English football. The Brazilian receives an annual salary of 7.8 million pounds or 162.5 thousand pounds per week (around R$1 million per week, at current rates), according to the Spotrac website.
According to The Sun, yellow cards were awarded in Premier League games in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons. The list of clashes is as follows: against Leicester, in 2022, and against Aston Villa, Leeds United and Bournemouth, in 2023.
Understand the case of Lucas Paquetá
Allegations suggest he deliberately received yellow cards in return for betting, resulting in an investigation by the Football Association of England.
The consequences include the possibility of a lifetime ban and have already affected his career, canceling a move to Manchester City.
Paquetá denies the accusations, stating that the evidence is circumstantial. The investigation, triggered by warnings from gaming companies, has not yet progressed to a formal hearing, but raises questions of jurisdiction and involves the collection of betting data in Brazil.
Placements
Currently, he is preparing to compete in the Copa América with the Brazilian team. In a recent press conference, Paquetá spoke for the first time about the case and claimed innocence.
“It will be the first and only time that I will speak. I was advised by my lawyers not to comment on the case. I continue to do my best and cooperate with the investigations, we will do our utmost to clarify everything.
I’m still prepared for this moment, to be here, that’s the most important thing, I had a special season, I was in the last two squads. I’m happy to be here, I’ll be willing to help the Brazilian team”, he said.
Furthermore, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) took a public stance. According to an official note, the decision was taken by the president of the CBF, Ednaldo Rodrigues, after exchanging information with authorities from the English Federation.
“And, so to speak, it is right to say that the athlete is free to exercise his professional role until the present moment, the source of his livelihood and that of his family, in a full and unrestricted manner, whether for his club or for the selection of the their country of origin”, says the statement.
