West Ham's Lucas Paqueta allegedly got booked on purpose as a ‘birthday gift’ for his brother
According to testimony provided to a Brazilian parliamentary investigation, West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta informed whistleblower Bruno Lopez that he intended to be booked in a game against Aston Villa on March 12 as a "birthday present" for his older brother Matheus, reports O Globo. After that, he was given a yellow card for fouling Villa midfielder John McGinn.
According to the report written by former Brazil player and current senator Romario, Bruno Lopez and a bettor called Marlon Nascimento da Silva discussed the plot in WhatsApp chats. Additionally, investigators discovered that Matheus Paqueta follows Marlon on social media and is close to him. According to the statement, Paqueta's uncle sent Marlon over £13,000 in five separate bank transactions.
The 27-year-old's file was turned in as part of a football gambling inquiry. The commission has not demanded that Paqueta be punished in his native country despite the accusations. The Football Association (FA) will, however, severely punish him for receiving four suspicious yellow cards in 2022 against Leicester City and 2023 against Leeds United, Aston Villa, and Bournemouth. In the midst of the investigation, Paqueta has maintained his innocence and is scheduled to appear before the FA in March.
