Lucas Paquetá is reported for misconduct in betting on the Premier League

After almost a year of investigations, the English Federation decided to report the midfielder Lucas Paquetá for misconduct in relation to sports betting. According to the formal accusation published this Thursday, 23, by the entity, the player allegedly forced himself to receive yellow cards on purpose.

“It is alleged that he sought to directly influence the progress, conduct or any other aspect or occurrence in 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 profit from betting”, said the federation in a statement.

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— Lucas Paquetá (@LucasPaqueta97) May 23, 2024

The matches in question took place between November 2022 and August 2023, and he has been investigated since the beginning of last season, despite never having received any punishment since then. After confirming the complaint, Paquetá also spoke publicly, in what he promised would be the first and last time during the process.

“I am extremely surprised and upset that the FA have decided to charge me. I cooperated with all stages of the investigation and provided all the information I could during these nine months. I deny the accusations completely and will fight with all my strength to clear my name. Due to the ongoing process, I will not be providing further comment.”, said the player.

It is worth remembering that the complaint made in August 2023 prevented Manchester City from moving forward with signing the athlete, who ended up remaining at West Ham this season. During this period, he continued to be a standout for the London club, having contributed with eight goals and seven assists since then.