Lucas Paquetá faces a lengthy ban from football after being charged with four counts of spot-fixing in Premier League matches.
Mail Sport revealed that Paqueta had been charged on Thursday afternoon, with the FA later confirming full details of an extraordinary case in which the West Ham midfielder is accused of having been deliberately booked in an attempt to influence the markets. of betting.
The FA alleges that Paquetá was deliberately booked in top-flight matches against Leicester, Aston Villa, Leeds and Bournemouth so that he and/or his friends could benefit from bets placed on his card.
The Brazil international strenuously denies any wrongdoing and has the full support of his club.
The FA allegations against Paqueta have become the most high-profile corruption case of the Premier League era, with the potential to ruin his career.
West Ham star Lucas Paqueta has been accused by the FA of breaking betting rules
The FA has investigated suspicious betting patterns surrounding four bookings Paquetá received in 2022 and 2023.
One of the bookings investigated occurred in West Ham’s match against Aston Villa in March 2023 (pictured)
Paquetá has expressed surprise at the accusations and continues to deny wrongdoing
A proposed £80million summer transfer to Manchester City has already collapsed with the Premier League champions withdrawing their long-standing interest, and a huge ban is inevitable if he is found guilty of either charge.
Former Reading defender Kynan Isaac received a career-ending 10-year ban from football for being deliberately booked while playing for Stratford Town in an FA Cup first-round tie against Shrewsbury three years ago.
Like Paqueta, Isaac was accused of being part of a conspiracy with friends to take down betting houses, and an independent commission handed him the longest suspension since the famous match-fixing scandal of 1964, which led to several players were imprisoned and banned for life.
Paqueta has co-operated with the FA since they launched their investigation last August, handing over his phone and being interviewed on several occasions last autumn, but attacked the governing body after being charged on Thursday.
“I am extremely surprised and upset that the FA has decided to charge me,” Paquetá said in a statement on social media. ‘For nine months, I have cooperated at every step of their investigation and provided all the information I could.
‘I deny the charges in their entirety and will fight with every breath to clear my name. “Due to the ongoing process, I will not be commenting further.”
Paquetá retains the support of West Ham and will be able to play freely until the case is heard, which could take several months.
The 26-year-old will play for Brazil in the Copa America this summer, although coach Dorival Junior rested him for several international matches after the FA launched its investigation last year before returning to the team to face England at Wembley. in March.
The FA confirmed that the charges relate to the warnings Paquetá received in four matches between November 2022 and August 2023.
Paquetá had been linked with a move to Manchester City this summer, but this transfer proposal could now fall through.
Paquetá was booked in the 60th minute in the first game against Leicester for a tackle on Boubakary Soumare, against Villa for a late challenge on John McGinn in the 70th minute, and against Leeds in the 65th minute for withdrawing Crysencio Summerville.
Paquetá’s last booking in the first game of this season against Bournemouth was for touching the ball in added time, an infringement that triggered the FA investigation.
The FA was alerted after being told by integrity officers that they had detected an unusual amount of betting activity on those reserves, much of which traced back to Paquetá Island, off the coast of Rio de Janeiro.
‘He is alleged to have directly sought to influence the progress, conduct or any other aspect or occurrence of these matches by intentionally seeking to receive a card from the referee with the improper purpose of affecting the betting market so that one or more persons will benefit from betting,” the FA said in a statement.
“Lucas categorically denies the infringement and will continue to firmly defend his position,” West Ham said. “The club will continue to stand by and support the player throughout the process.”
Paqueta’s case will be heard by an independent commission and he could receive a suspension if he is found guilty. While Ivan Toney received an eight-month suspension for betting on football last year, it is understood Paqueta has not been accused of placing any bets.
The FA’s plans to cash in on Paquetá are a huge blow to both the player and his club as they will potentially destroy his transfer value and create huge problems for the new head coach.
Ivan Toney was suspended for eight months for breaching betting rules last year before returning to action in January.
Paqueta is contracted to West Ham until 2027 and under normal circumstances the club would look to cash in this summer or agree a long-term extension, but neither scenario is likely to materialize now.
City agreed to pay £80m for Paqueta last year and have identified him as a possible replacement for Bernando Silva, wanted by Paris Saint Germain.
Meeting Paquetá’s release clause would not be a problem for City, but they are unlikely to pursue their interests if he is accused of a betting offence.
Paqueta has until June 3 to formally respond to the charges and a disciplinary hearing is expected to be held later this summer.
The FA has been contacted for comment.