In a surprising turn of events, Lucas Paquetá, the Brazilian midfielder for West Ham United, has been summoned by Brazil`s parliamentary commission as part of a betting investigation. This could mean he will miss some important matches in December.
Earlier this year, the Football Association (FA) in England started looking into Paquetá for being involved in four incidents of spot-fixing, where players might try to influence the outcome of a game for betting purposes.
Brazil is also investigating him, which adds to the pressure.
Paquetá is accused of intentionally getting yellow cards during matches to affect betting.
The FA claims he deliberately received cards in games against Leicester City, Aston Villa, Leeds United, and Bournemouth, hoping to profit from bets placed by himself and his friends.
Despite the serious allegations, Paquetá has firmly denied any wrongdoing. He is determined to prove his innocence and says he is fully cooperating with the investigation.
He was expected to present evidence to the São Paulo commission this week, but his legal team has asked for a delay.
According to reports, Paquetá will not be able to play in West Ham`s match against Leicester City on December 3.
He has been directed to submit evidence to the Brazilian commission in early December.
There are also rumors that the FA might bring two new charges against him: one for not cooperating with their investigation and another for trying to obstruct it. Paquetá has dismissed these claims as well.
Feeling frustrated, Paquetá spoke out against what he calls misleading reports from the media in both England and Brazil.
He expressed that some of the information being shared is completely false and appears to be designed to damage his reputation.
He emphasized that this information may have come from someone involved in the investigation, even though the FA is supposed to keep things confidential for the sake of him and his family.
In another twist, Paquetá`s uncle, Bruno Tolentino, is also facing scrutiny.
After two yellow cards were given to a player named Luis Henrique, Tolentino reportedly gave him £5,000.
There’s an investigation happening in Spain about this, but both Henrique and Tolentino deny any wrongdoing.
The concerns about Paquetá and his uncle came to light through reports from West Ham’s jersey sponsor and a UK betting company.
