Lucas Paqueta is set to miss a massive game for West Ham in December after the Brazilian was summoned for a date at his country’s parliament over the ongoing betting investigation, according to reports.
Having been charged by the Football Association earlier this year for four counts of spot-fixing, the attacking midfielder is also under investigation back in his home country.
The West Ham star is accused of being deliberately booked in an attempt to influence betting markets and is expected to face a hearing next March. The Football Association alleges that Paqueta was deliberately booked in 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’, and insists he has cooperated fully with the investigation.
Paqueta was initially due to give evidence in Sao Paulo to the Commission of Inquiry (CPI) on the Manipulation of Games and Sports Betting this week as part of an investigation into illegal betting, but his legal team argued successfully to have the appointment postponed.
However, according to The Sun, the player is now set to miss the Premier League clash with Leicester City on December 3, with a ruling on Wednesday forcing Paqueta to give evidence to Brazilian senators on the same day.
Earlier in October he hit out at ‘entirely false’ information being reported around his betting charges and has called on the FA to investigate ‘leaks’ regarding his case.
Recent reports claimed the FA are bringing two new charges for alleged non-cooperation and are accusing Paqueta of obstructing the investigation, but he dismissed that version of events on Thursday.
‘I am frustrated and upset to have read misleading and inaccurate articles in both England and Brazil, claiming to disclose information about my case,’ said Paqueta. ‘Some of that information is entirely false and appears designed to undermine my position.
‘I am also concerned that, although they are false, these articles are clearly sourced from an individual close to the case. The FA proceedings are supposed to be confidential, and they are extremely serious for me and my family.
‘The continued leaking of inaccurate information is putting at risk my chance of receiving a fair hearing. I have therefore instructed my lawyers to write to the FA to request they conduct a thorough investigation into how information about the case, even if inaccurate, is finding its way into the public domain.’
Paqueta’s uncle, Bruno Tolentino, is also under investigation in Brazil, after paying £5000 to ex-Real Betis striker Luiz Henrique days after being booked twice. This triggered a probe in Spain. Both Tolentino and Henrique have denied any wrongdoing.
In both cases, the suspicious activity was reported by West Ham’s shirt sponsors Betway.
Paqueta’s uncle appeared in front of the CPI on Wednesday, but other than confirming his name refused to answer questions – a move which is thought to have earned criticism of the CPI’s president.
Around 60 people – some of whom are the player’s family members – in Brazil are said to have wagered bets between £7 and £400 on him being booked in relevant games, with total winnings of £100,000. He is reportedly set to face a hearing in March.
Paqueta has been overshadowed by the allegations since they were first made before the start of last season.
He had emerged as one of West Ham’s key stars on their way to Conference League glory in 2023, and had been widely linked with a move to Manchester City with Pep Guardiola thought to be keen.
However, once the story of Paqueta’s betting probe back in August 2023 emerged, broken exclusively by Mail Sport, his prospective £85million move collapsed.
The FA are thought to be pushing for a lifetime ban from football should he be found guilty of the charges against him.
The FA seized Paqueta’s phone for two months last year while investigators looked into his messages, calls, and banking history, during which time he bought a new mobile.
They eventually gave it back, but recalled it down the line as the investigators wanted to check extra details, however the player had thrown it away and could not find it.
As a result the FA are accusing him of obstructing the investigation with two aggravated breaches for non-cooperation, The Sun reports.
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 him.
‘I’m happy with his behaviour and his commitment,’ Lopetegui said earlier this season. ‘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.’
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