Lucas Paqueta Faces Grave and Possibly Career-Threatening Match-Fixing Accusations
Soccer player Lucas Paqueta, a renowned player from Brazil and West Ham, faced charges from England's Football Association (FA) on Thursday for trying to receive a card from the referee with the plan of affecting the betting market. This is the first time such a severe accusation has been leveled at an athlete in the English Premier League.
In a statement, Paqueta maintained his innocence, stating that he would fight to clear his name. With his career potentially on the line, he's only 26 years old.
The FA's inquiry began over a year ago, fueled by suspicious betting occurrences around an injury-time yellow card Paqueta received during a draw with Bournemouth on August 12, 2023. The investigation later included three additional games - Leicester City on November 12, 2022, Aston Villa on March 12, 2023, and Leeds United on May 21, 2023.
The FA's investigation also ruined a potential move to Manchester City for Paqueta in the summer of 2023, which was expected to be revived if Paqueta was exonerated.
Some questionable wagers were placed in Duque de Caxias, a Brazilian city near Guanabara Bay. As a tribute to his birthplace, Paqueta carries the nickname "Paqueta." He was born on an island with the same name and is officially named Lucas Tolentino Coelho de Lima.
Additionally, some untrustworthy bets occurred with West Ham's jersey sponsor, Betway, that doesn't accept bets from Brazil.
While betting has been linked to several Premier League players in the past, Paqueta is the first one accused of manipulating the action directly. Regarding the high stakes, Paqueta earned about $9 million annually at West Ham, but the potential salary at City was significantly higher.
Several Premier League players have been involved in gambling scandals in recent times, typically for betting on the games themselves. But, none have been charged with manipulating the game in this manner before.
The case is noteworthy as concern in the US has been raised about spot-fixing after the introduction of sports betting markets. In April, the NBA banned the Toronto Raptors' Jontay Porter for life due to his involvement in sharing insider information with bettors to reap benefits from wagers.
The matter draws attention to the contradictory viewpoints on sports betting in the US. Proponents like NBA commissioner Adam Silver claim regulation helps identify suspicious betting patterns, thus protecting the integrity of the games. But adversaries counter that unregulated street-level bookies do not provide in-play bets for individual player performances.
Read also:
- The CDU is pushing for additional medical study positions in Homburg.
- German enthusiast creates gigantic Harry Potter figure
- New leader dismisses previous Schalke team.
- "White Winnie" elevates Prussia.
Source: www.casino.org
