The midfielder committed a foul near the midfield and was punished; he was then comforted by his teammates.
Under investigation for allegedly forcing the receipt of yellow cards in Premier League matches to favor bettors, West Ham midfielder Lucas Paquetá cried on the field after being warned by the referee in a match this Sunday (4/5) against Tottenham in the English championship.
In the 27th minute of the second half, Paquetá committed a foul near the midfield and received a yellow card. Following the incident, the player began to cry on the field and was comforted by his teammates. The midfielder ended up being substituted by coach Graham Potter seven minutes later. The match ended in a 1-1 draw. In May 2024, Paquetá was charged by the FA (Football Association, the English football federation) for four alleged violations of betting rules.
The Brazilian was accused of deliberately seeking to receive a yellow card during four Premier League games in 2022 and 2023.
“[Paquetá] directly attempted to influence these games by intentionally seeking to receive a yellow card from the referee for the improper purpose of affecting the betting market so that one or more persons could profit from betting,” the FA said in a statement at the time. The games in which the athlete allegedly forced the card were against Leicester (November 12, 2022), Aston Villa (March 12, 2023), Leeds (May 21, 2023) and Bournemouth (August 12, 2023).
Paquetá has always denied any wrongdoing. “I am extremely surprised and upset that the FA has decided to charge me,” said the Brazilian. In March, the midfielder’s trial began in England, with the process expected to conclude in the coming weeks. There is no deadline for the decision to be released and the parties may still appeal to the CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport), in Switzerland.
Until then, the midfielder can continue to play normally for his club and the Brazilian national team. According to the investigation, the cards coincided with an increase in the volume of online betting coming from Paquetá Island, a region in Guanabara Bay where the player was born. According to the English media, the federation is asking for the midfielder, who came through the Flamengo youth system, to be banned from playing.
Similar situations involving other players who played for English clubs in recent years show that the punishments can be severe. In 2022, English defender Kynan Isaac was suspended for ten years for forcing a yellow card while playing for Stadtford Town, in a match against Shrewsbury Town in 2021, for the FA Cup.
