The FA reportedly want to ban West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta for life as developments over his alleged betting breaches emerge.
The Brazilian midfielder is undergoing a lengthy investigation after being charged with four counts of spot-fixing last month by deliberately getting booked in Premier League matches.
The four counts of alleged spot-fixing relate to cautions against Bournemouth, Aston Villa, Leeds and Leicester City.
Despite shreds of evidence, Paqueta insists he is innocent. However, a recent development discloses that a life ban could be recommended if he’s found guilty of the breaches.
The governing body is believed to see Paqueta’s alleged offences as more serious than previous incidents involving Kynan Isaac and Bradley Wood, who were banned for ten and six years respectively after getting booked on purpose in FA Cup games.
It’s claimed that around sixty bets were placed on yellow cards, with the lowest at £7 and the highest standing at £400 with the total winnings at £100,000. Paqueta did not place any bets but is accused of getting cautioned so his friends could benefit financially.
And in an ironic twist, the first gaming company to sound the alarm over suspicious betting patterns was Betway — the Hammers’ main shirt sponsor.
The series of small bets were placed on Paqueta Island off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, sparking an investigation which resulted in the FA’s spot-fixing charges.
The FA are still in the process of collating information from Brazil and much like with Brentford striker Ivan Toney, the case is expected to drag on for months before a hearing takes place.
Paqueta denies all wrongdoing and his lawyers have been given more time to lodge an official response to the charges.
His reported interest from Manchester City has broken down as a result of the alleged betting breaches.
