West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta has been charged with two more charges for obstructing the FA’s betting investigation against him.
The player is due to stand trial in March, but the FA has now charged him with two more charges for allegedly obstructing the investigation by failing to cooperate, The Sun reports.
Paqueta’s phone was confiscated last year as part of the FA’s investigation into his texts, calls and banking history. He has since purchased a new mobile device.
While the FA eventually returned the phone, they later asked for it back to check further details. However, the Brazilian midfielder has since disposed of it and cannot find it.
The charges initially stemmed from the FA’s allegations that Paqueta had deliberately received yellow cards in matches against Leicester, Aston Villa, Leeds and Bournemouth in the 2023/24 Premier League season, allowing him or his teammates to profit from bets on him being booked. Paqueta has denied all allegations.
Around 60 people in Brazil are said to have placed bets of between £7 and £400 on him being booked in those games, resulting in a combined winning of £100,000.
While his trial is scheduled for March, the timeframe for a verdict could be extended until the summer, meaning he will remain eligible to play for the entire current season but could face a lifetime ban if found guilty.
When asked about Paquetá, West Ham’s Manager Julen Lopetegui said: “We don’t talk about that [the case], we talk about football. About the next match and about life, but not about that.”
Don’t forget to subscribe to our Telegram channel!
