- Lucas Paqueta is currently accused of breaching FA betting rules
- The star is accused of deliberately receiving a yellow card in four matches
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West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta will face a hearing over alleged spot-fixing in March, according to a report.
Mail Sport revealed in May that Paqueta had been charged by the Football Association, with the Brazilian accused of being deliberately booked in an attempt to influence the betting markets.
The FA alleges that Paqueta was deliberately booked in top-flight matches against Leicester, Aston Villa, Leeds and Bournemouth so that he and/or his friends could profit from bets placed on the card he was dealt.
Paqueta has denied all charges against him and has previously said he will “fight with every breath to clear my name.”
According to The Sunthe 27-year-old will be heard on the charges next year. If found guilty, he could face a lifetime ban from the sport.
Lucas Paqueta will reportedly face a hearing in March over alleged spot-fixing following his indictment by the Football Association
The FA has investigated suspicious gambling patterns surrounding four bookings Paqueta received in 2022 and 2023
Last month, Brazilian media reported that relatives of the Hammers star were being questioned about bank payments allegedly made to another Brazilian player. According to the Brazilian news website UOL, two relatives of Paqueta made two payments to another player, Luiz Henrique, in early 2023.
It is alleged that the payments, totaling more than £5,000, were made shortly after the Brazilian forward was booked in two games against Spanish side Real Betis.
Henrique was shown a yellow card for Real Betis’ 1-0 win over Getafe on January 28, 2023, as well as for their 4-3 defeat to Celta Vigo on February 4. The attacker had played the last eleven minutes of the match.
UOL reported that Henrique received 10,000 Brazilian reals (£1,370) from a relative’s bank account on January 30, before receiving 30,000 reals (R$30,000) from another relative’s account on February 6.
Bruno Tolentino reportedly admitted the payments in an interview with the website, but said they were made to pay off a loan and were not related to betting.
Mail Sport exclusively broke the story of Paqueta’s gambling investigation in August 2023, which led to the collapse of his would-be £85million move to Premier League champions Manchester City.
The charges laid by the FA earlier this year coincided with the midfielder’s decline in form. The Hammers star suffered a poor end to last season, scoring just two goals so far this term.
Paqueta expressed surprise at the allegations and continues to deny any wrongdoing
West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui said Paqueta is dealing well with the looming legal threat, but revealed he has not spoken to the Brazilian about the matter
West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui has insisted the player tackles his looming legal troubles properly, but revealed he has not discussed the matter with the former Lyon star.
“I am happy with his behavior and his commitment,” Lopetegui said last month. ‘He works very hard, he tries to understand what we want. We’re trying to help him get better and better. He is an important player.’
He added: “We don’t talk about it [the charges]. We talk about football, about the next match and about life. But not about this.’