Lucas Paqueta: What we hear after charges for alleged betting violations

West Ham United playmaker Lucas Paqueta started for Brazil last night in their final Copa America warm-up match against the United States in Florida – but his career remains under a cloud.

Paqueta, 26, who was cleared to play for his country in the competition in the United States, was charged by the FA last month for allegedly breaching its betting rules.

He is accused of deliberately booking himself four Premier League matches over two seasons. West Ham's record signing, who left Lyon in the summer of 2022 for £51 million ($65.2 million at current conversion rates), had until June 3 to respond to the accusations, but his lawyers got more time.

Paqueta is a key player for Brazil and is expected to start in the Copa America kick-off against Costa Rica on June 25, but his future looks increasingly uncertain.

If found guilty he could be banned for life, a fear shared internally by senior West Ham officials.

Paqueta, a transfer target for Manchester City last summer, insists he is innocent and has vowed to “fight with every breath to clear my name”.

It was on May 23 that Paqueta was charged by the FA with four separate cases of match-fixing.

“Fixing” is where a player agrees to influence a certain part of a match – by receiving a yellow card, for example – rather than trying to “fix” the final score.

The news came just hours after Julen Lopetegui was announced as West Ham head coach, overshadowing the Spaniard's first day on the job.

The charges relate to a yellow card received by Paqueta against Leicester City on November 12, 2022, as well as matches in 2023 against Aston Villa on March 12, Leeds United on May 21 and Bournemouth on the opening day on August 12.

An FA statement said: “It is alleged that he (Paqueta) directly sought to influence the course, conduct or any other aspect or event of these matches by intentionally seeking to receive a card from the referee with the aim of inappropriate to affect the match. betting market so that one or more people can profit from betting.

It is understood that around 60 people have bet on Paqueta to receive a yellow card in one or all of the aforementioned matches, with stakes ranging from £7 to £400.

The investigation into Paqueta's yellow cards focused on bets linked to accounts registered on Paqueta, an island off the coast of Rio de Janeiro where the Brazilian grew up – his nickname “Paqueta” refers to the island – but they were not placed by the player.

Many of the bets under investigation are believed to have been made from recently opened accounts. Any yellow card bet from a new account triggers a color-coded warning used by betting companies to monitor suspicious activity. For example, a red flag appears when someone opens a new account and then makes a very specific/niche bet, then a double “red flag” is raised if that person then places a max/big bet or if several bets are made. on a player.

West Ham's shirt sponsor Betway, a company little used in Brazil, first reported the suspicious activity while betting was taking place on its platform, but it was not until other betting companies, including several local Brazilian operators, have begun reporting similar concerns. that the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) intervened.

The IBIA then informed FIFA and the FA.

A person close to IBIA, who wished to remain anonymous to protect his connections, said that if convicted Paqueta was unlikely to play again when his case was pitted against others.

For example, Kynan Isaac, a player for Stratford Town (currently seventh in English football), was banned for 12 years in October 2022 after being found guilty of spot-fixing and illegal betting on an FA Cup match. He was handed a 10-year ban for deliberately obtaining a booking through a betting scheme with friends, with a further 18-month ban for breaching FA rules regarding match betting and an additional year for failing to cooperate with the investigation. Lincoln City's Bradley Wood was banned for six years in 2018 after deliberately being booked in two matches, with two close friends betting on it.

Isaac, 31, who is now a driving instructor, said Athleticism: “You can't give me a 10-year ban and then expect me to say nothing if someone charged with four of the same charges receives a lesser sentence. How could you justify this?

Paqueta's case is not expected to reach a hearing for several months, meaning it could stretch into the start of next season. No decision will be made before the Copa America final on July 14.

His case will be heard by an independent commission. If Paqueta is found guilty by the commission, the FA could push FIFA for a global ban.

Paqueta was charged with two further offences, under FA Rule F3, alleging he failed to comply with the investigation.

The Metropolitan Police said there were “no police investigations at this time”.

It first emerged that Paqueta was under investigation by the FA for possible betting violations in August last year, following suspicious betting patterns surrounding a yellow card he had received in the 93rd minute of West Ham United's opening match last season against Bournemouth, when he was booked for shoving defender Illia Zabarnyi and showing dissent towards referee Peter Bankes.

When news of the investigation broke in August, West Ham players held a team meeting without then-manager David Moyes and his team behind the scenes. Paqueta was in tears during the meeting and told his teammates he was innocent and felt he was being harassed by the FA. Summer signing and Mexico international Edson Alvarez was particularly vocal, saying he would protect Paqueta on the pitch if anyone tried to target him. During West Ham's 5-0 win over Freiburg in the Europa League round of 16 in March, Paqueta ran up to Alvarez to hug him after he opened the scoring to show his appreciation.

During the season, West Ham players constantly monitored Paqueta as he initially lacked confidence. His close friend Emerson Palmieri, a Brazilian-born Italian international, was keen to organize a morale-boosting party, but it did not happen as Paqueta did not want to attract attention.

He was interviewed by the FA last September and gave them access to his phone the following month. He then bought a new phone.

Meanwhile, Brazilian news site Globo said an investigation in Brazil began when an unusual number of bets were placed on Paqueta and compatriot Luiz Henrique, who were due to be booked on the same day in March of l last year for West Ham and Real Betis respectively. They both received yellow cards during their matches.

Both players were invited to speak before the parliamentary commission of inquiry last September. Paqueta did not, while Luiz Henrique was close to doing so but withdrew at the last minute, saying he had to nurse an injury.

A source close to Luiz Henrique, who wished to remain anonymous to protect his relationships, said he was innocent. The winger left Betis for Botafogo in Brazil on January 31 for a record fee of £17million.

Paqueta was dropped from the Brazil squad in August when it was revealed he was under investigation by the FA.

However, he was then recalled by new manager Dorival Junior for their friendly against England in March this year.

A fortnight ago, Paqueta was allowed to play in the Copa America. Brazil is part of a group with Costa Rica, Paraguay and Colombia. CBF (Brazilian Football Federation) President Ednaldo Rodrigues said in a statement that he had contacted FA Director General Mark Bullingham “in a cautious manner, with the aim of verifying the current situation of the player ” and to ensure that there were no legal obstacles to its settlement. Paqueta is playing this summer. Citing an email response from FA integrity officer Tarik Shamel, the CBF said the FA had not made any request to FIFA to provisionally suspend the player.

Rodrigues said: “The CBF cannot, in an authoritarian manner and in defiance of the English association leading the case, condemn the player and ban him from playing for the national team, otherwise it would be an obvious anticipation of punishment, which, under no circumstances, at least in light of current national legislation, can be tolerated.

During his warm-up for the Copa America, Paqueta enjoyed being in the familiar surroundings of his Brazilian teammates, where he is particularly close to Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior and Newcastle United's Bruno Guimaraes, which gave him the freedom to disconnect from events. House.

After being indicted on May 23, Paqueta released a statement denying any wrongdoing. He said: “I am extremely surprised and upset that the FA have decided to charge me. For nine months, I cooperated with every step of their investigation and provided every information possible. I deny the accusations in their entirety and will fight at all times to clear my name. Due to the ongoing process, I will not make any further comments.

West Ham are committed to supporting their player.

After West Ham's final game of the season, a 3-1 defeat to Manchester City in May, Paqueta, his wife Duda and their two sons, Benicio and Filippo, flew to Brazil. There, the midfielder contacted Pastor André Fernandes to pray for him and his family.

The club said Paqueta “continues to be fully supported at all times”.

(Top photo: Manu Reino/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)