The FA aims to impose a lifetime ban on Lucas Paqueta following revelations of his involvement in an alleged betting scandal.
The FA seeks to impose a lifetime ban on West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta amid new revelations of his involvement in an alleged betting scandal. Paqueta has been charged with violating betting regulations, stemming from an investigation into four yellow cards he received in Premier League matches against Bournemouth, Aston Villa, Leeds, and Leicester City.
The allegations suggest that Paqueta intentionally got booked to benefit financially from spot-fixing, breaching FA rules E5 and F3. The investigation revealed an unusual number of bets placed in his hometown, Paqueta Island near Rio de Janeiro, by West Ham’s shirt sponsor Betway.
Despite Paqueta’s claims of innocence, The Sun’s Matt Hughes reports that the FA is pushing for a lifetime ban if he is found guilty. The FA views Paqueta’s case as more severe than previous incidents involving Kynan Isaac and Bradley Wood, who received ten and six-year bans, respectively, for similar offenses in FA Cup matches.
The investigation identified around sixty bets on yellow cards, ranging from £7 to £400, with total winnings amounting to £100,000. Although Paqueta did not place any bets himself, he is accused of facilitating the bets for his friends’ financial gain.
The FA is still gathering information from Brazil, and as with Brentford striker Ivan Toney, the case is expected to extend over several months before reaching a hearing.
