Lucas Paquetá is called to offer testimony in Brazil regarding allegations of match-fixing.
West Ham's Lucas Paquetá Faces Allegations of Spot-Fixing in Premier League
In a shocking turn of events, West Ham United's Brazilian midfielder, Lucas Paquetá, is embroiled in a gambling scandal that has rocked the Premier League. Paquetá has been accused of attempting to manipulate at least four Premier League games, a claim he vehemently denies and is fighting to clear his name.
The English Football Association (FA) charged Paquetá with spot-fixing in May 2024, alleging that he deliberately received yellow cards in four matches between November 2022 and August 2023 against Leicester, Aston Villa, Leeds, and Bournemouth. These charges were brought under the FA's Rule E5, which concerns the integrity of matches.
However, an independent panel cleared Paquetá of the spot-fixing charges in July 2025, ruling the evidence of intentional misconduct as "not proven." Two charges related to non-cooperation with the FA’s investigation were upheld, with sanctions pending.
The case against Paquetá has been a lengthy one, marking the longest in the FA's history. The suspicious betting patterns involved small bets clustered in his hometown in Brazil, but no conclusive proof of intent to manipulate the matches led to his exoneration.
Meanwhile, English national striker Ivan Toney has also found himself in hot water. He was suspended for 25 games and fined 57,000 euros for a breach of FA Rule E8 in May 2023. Toney's suspension is the longest ever handed down for a betting violation in English football.
In response to these incidents, the Premier League introduced a new code of conduct for collaboration with sports betting sponsors in July. The code is based on four principles: protection, social responsibility, reinvestment, and integrity.
West Ham United has pledged its support for Paquetá throughout the process. The player's uncle, Bruno Tolentino, is also expected to testify before the investigative committee. He is alleged to have transferred a large sum of money to a Brazilian professional, Luiz Henrique, for deliberately provoked yellow cards.
Paquetá, who was worth 65 million euros at his peak, is currently the most valuable player of West Ham United at 55 million euros. The process against him could drag on until next summer, with a potential lifetime ban hanging over his head if convicted.
In a separate development, Newcastle's midfield orchestrator Sandro Tonali was suspended between October 2023 and August 2024 for placing numerous bets on his former clubs. Brazil has only recently introduced harsher penalties for match-fixing.
The FA is currently checking Paquetá's social media messages, calls, and bank accounts as part of its investigation. It has also been reported that around 60 people in Brazil allegedly bet up to 480 euros on Paquetá's cautions in four games, violating FA rules E5 and F3.
Paquetá must also testify before a Parliamentary Inquiry Commission for Sports Betting in Brazil in connection with a sports betting scandal. As the investigation continues, the footballing world watches with bated breath, hoping for a swift and fair resolution to these troubling allegations.
Sources:
- BBC Sport
- The Guardian
- ESPN
