West Ham midfielder Lucas Paquetá has been charged by the English Football Association (FA) with misconduct related to betting on four Premier League matches.
The FA alleges that Paquetá deliberately forced yellow cards in games between November 2022 and August 2023 to influence match outcomes and benefit the betting market.
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These charges put Paquetá’s £80 million transfer to Manchester City in jeopardy. The FA has spent nine months investigating suspicious betting activities surrounding his bookings, tracing links to Paquetá Island near Rio de Janeiro.
Paquetá denies the allegations. On Instagram, he expressed shock at the FA’s decision and highlighted his cooperation during the investigation. “I deny the charges in their entirety and will fight to clear my name,” he stated.
— Lucas Paquetá (@LucasPaqueta97) May 23, 2024
As Paquetá prepares to contest the charges, the football world watches closely.
Remembering Zagallo
Sambafoot Series launched a new documentary about the football legend Zagallo. Known as ‘Velho Lobo‘ and as superstitious as it gets, Zagallo helped shape what Brazilian football is nowadays — as a player and as a coach.
Watch the first six episodes on Sambafoot’s YouTube channel. Don’t miss the series finale releasing soon!
