The FA investigation is believed to be focused on a yellow card Paqueta received for a late challenge on Aston Villa\u2019s John Mcguin on March 12, 2023.<\/p>\n
Sportsbooks reported that an unusual number of bets were placed on the player getting booked in that game.<\/p>\n
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Some of these bets were placed in Duque de Caxias, a city on Brazil\u2019s Guanabara Bay. Paqueta is from Paqueta Island, a half-square-mile island in Guanabara Bay. The player, whose real name is Lucas Tolentino Coelho de Lima, adopted the name Paqueta as a tribute to his place of birth.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Meanwhile, some of the bets were also placed with Betway, West Ham\u2019s jersey sponsor, which doesn’t take bets from Brazil.<\/p>\n
Paqueta hasn\u2019t been accused of placing any of the bets, but those close to him are being investigated, according to The Times.<\/em> He denies any wrongdoing, knowledge, or involvement.<\/p>\nWest Ham in Limbo<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe West Ham board is also anxious for the investigation to conclude because the uncertainty is affecting the team\u2019s transfer plans for the summer. The cash from the potential sale would swell its war chest in the summer market and redefine its transfer strategy.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a protracted investigation could leave the team scrambling to find a replacement for Paqueta if it concludes late in the transfer window. The FA has refused to comment on the status of the case.<\/p>\n
Last year, the Brazilian was interviewed at least twice and agreed to allow investigators access to his phone.<\/p>\n
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The implication is that the FA is looking for evidence of spot-fixing. This relates to manipulating aspects of a game \u2014 the number of cards or corners, for example \u2014 rather than the outright result.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The practice is almost unheard of in elite soccer because stratospheric wages remove the financial incentive.<\/p>\n
If found guilty, Paqueta could face a lifelong ban from the sport.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Representatives of Brazilian soccer star Lucas Paqueta are hoping that an investigation into alleged gambling violations can be resolved within weeks. That\u2019s so a $90 million move to EPL champion Manchester City can be resurrected over the summer, The Times of London reports. City agreed to a deal in principle with the midfield playmaker\u2019s current […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":320543,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[86644,82966,1074],"tags":[87650,90994,90995,90996,87651],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
West Ham\u2019s Paqueta Wants End to Betting Probe to Revive $90M Man City Move<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n