Investigated for allegedly forcing the receipt of yellow cards in Premier League matches to favor gamblers, West Ham midfielder Lucas Paquetá cried on the pitch after being warned by the referee on Sunday (4) against Tottenham for the English championship.
27 minutes into the second half, Paquetá fouled near the midfield and received a yellow card. Following the bid, the player began to cry on the field and was comforted by his companions.
The midfielder was replaced by coach Ange -made seven minutes later. The match ended in a 1-1 draw.
In May 2024, Paquetá was accused by FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION (FAI, the English Federation of Football) by four alleged violations of the betting rules.
The Brazilian was accused of deliberately seeking a yellow card during four Premier League games in 2022 and 2023.
“[Paquetá] He tried directly to influence these games by intentionally seeking to receive a referee card with the improper purpose of affecting the betting market for one or more people to profit from betting, “the FA said in a statement at the time.
The games in which the athlete would have forced the card were against Leicester (November 12, 2022), Aston Villa (March 12, 2023), Leeds (May 21, 2023) and Bournemouth (August 12, 2023).
Paquetá has always denied any irregularity. “I am extremely surprised and upset that FA has decided to accuse me,” said the Brazilian.
In March, the midfielder’s trial began in England, with the forecast of completion of the process in the coming weeks.
The decision has no deadline to be disclosed and the parties will still be able to resort to CAS (arbitral cut of sport) in Switzerland. Until then, the midfielder can continue to act normally for his club and the Brazilian team.
According to the investigations, the cards would have coincided with an increase in the volume of online bets from Paquetá Island, region in Guanabara Bay where the player was born.
According to the English media, the federation calls for the banishment of midfielder revealed at the base of Flamengo.
Similar situations involving other players who have defended English clubs in recent years show that punishments can be heavy.
By 2022, English defender Kynan Isaac was suspended for ten years for forcing a yellow card while defending Statford Town, in a match against the 2021 Shrewsbury Town for the Cup of England.
