West Ham player Lucas Paquetá had his trial initiated by the English Football Association (FA) on Monday (17). The entity reported the athlete in May 2024 for misconduct in relation to betting.
According to information from the British press, the trial will last approximately three weeks and the FA is calling for the athlete to be banned from football.
The accusation is that the former Flamengo player violated the rules of conduct related to sports betting by the FA, through an official statement, released by the federation in May 2024. According to the FA, the Brazilian violated the rules in the following games:
- Against Leicester City on 12 November 2022
- Aston Villa, March 12, 2023
- Leeds United, 21 May 2023
- Bournemouth, 12 August 2023
In all of these games, the athlete was punished with yellow cards. However, shortly after the complaint, Paquetá spoke out about the case on his social media:
“I am extremely surprised and upset that the FA has decided to charge me. I have cooperated with every step of the investigation and provided all the information I could during these nine months. I deny the accusations in full and will fight with all my strength to clear my name. Due to the ongoing process, I will not provide any further comment,” Paquetá said.
Strict laws in England
The laws governing the betting market in England are quite strict. As it is a very important market in the betting world, there is a very modern and thorough betting verification system.
In addition, similar cases have a history of trials and convictions by the FA. An example of this is the case of Crystal Palace’s English defender Moses Swaibu, who was sentenced to prison in 2013.
FA and the request for a football ban
Lucas Paquetá has been charged with four breaches of Rule E5.1 of the English Football Association, in relation to his conduct in four English Championship games.
According to the rule, a player: “shall not, directly or indirectly, attempt to influence for any improper purpose the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect or occurrence in or in connection with a game or competition.”
Information that people are among those who benefited from betting on Paquetá’s cards in Rio de Janeiro, where the player’s family lives, according to the local press, has a very negative impact on the trial.
According to FA documentation, betting offences are separate and distinct from match-fixing charges. However, where it can be proven that a bet has affected the outcome or course of a match, the charge is specific to the offence and not an incident of betting offence. A player found guilty of interfering with the outcome or course of a match can be banned for life.
Punishment to Paquetá
According to the FA, the allegation is that Paquetá “sought to directly influence the progress, conduct or any other aspect or occurrence in those matches by intentionally seeking to receive a card from the referee for the improper purpose of affecting the betting market so that one or more persons may profit from betting.”
The federation does not detail in its disciplinary regulations book the range of sanctions for those who violate rule E5.1. However, in cases of using privileged information for betting purposes, a player can face a suspension of six months to a lifetime ban, in addition to a fine.
The FA’s regulatory commission will assess whether Paquetá provided information and assistance to the authorities involved. This could mitigate potential punishment for violations. In Brazil, the Bets CPI has been extended and will monitor the developments of the trial.
