West Ham star Lucas Paqueta ‘learns date of hearing into alleged spot-fixing’ – with the Brazilian accused of deliberately getting booked four times – as club ‘frustrated with timing’
West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta will face a hearing into alleged spot-fixing in March, according to a report.
Mail Sport revealed in May that Paqueta was charged by the Football Association, with the Brazilian accused of being deliberately booked in an attempt to influence betting markets.
The FA are alleging that Paqueta was deliberately booked in top-flight matches against Leicester, Aston Villa, Leeds and Bournemouth so that either he and/or his friends could profit from bets placed on him being carded.
Paqueta has denied all the charges against him and has previously said that he ‘will fight with every breath to clear my name’.
According to The Sun, the 27-year-old will face a hearing over the charges next year. If found guilty, he could face a lifetime ban from the sport.
Lucas Paqueta will reportedly face a hearing into alleged spot-fixing in March following his charge by the Football Association
The FA have investigated suspicious betting patterns surrounding four bookings Paqueta picked up in 2022 and 2023
Last month, Brazilian media reported that relatives of the Hammers’ star were probed over bank payments allegedly made to another Brazilian player. According to Brazilian news website UOL, two of Paqueta’s relatives allegedly made two payments to another player, Luiz Henrique, in early 2023.
It is claimed the payments, totalling over £5,000, were made shortly after the Brazilian forward had been booked in two matches playing to Spanish side Real Betis.
Henrique had been booked in Real Betis’ 1-0 win over Getafe on January 28 in 2023, as well as in their 4-3 defeat against Celta Vigo on February 4. The forward had played the final 11 minutes of the match.
UOL reported Henrique had allegedly received 10,000 Brazilian reals (£1,370) from one relative’s bank account on January 30, before receiving 30,000 reals (R$30,000) another relative’s account on February 6.
Bruno Tolentino was reported to have admitted the payments an interview with the website, but said they were made to pay off a loan and unconnected to betting.
Mail Sport exclusively broke the story of Paqueta’s betting probe back in August 2023, which led to the collapse of his prospective £85million move to Premier League champions Manchester City.
Charges brought by the FA earlier this year have coincided with the midfielder’s slump in form. The Hammers star endured a poor end to last campaign and has scored only two goal so far this season.
Paqueta expressed his surprise at the charges and continues to deny any wrongdoing
West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui said Paqueta is handling the looming legal threat well but revealed he has not spoken to the Brazilian about the issue
West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui has insisted that the player is handling his looming legal troubles well but revealed that he has not discussed the issue with the former Lyon star.
‘I’m happy with his behaviour and his commitment,’ Lopetegui said last month. ‘He’s working very hard, he’s trying to understand what we want. We’re trying to help him to be better and better. He’s an important player.’
He added: ‘We don’t talk about [the charges]. We talk about football, about the next match and about life. But not about this.’
