ALLEGED MATCH FIXING <LUCAS PAQUETA MAY FACE A MULTI -YEAR BAN OR JAIL TIME.
West Ham and Manchester City were rattled yesterday when it was revealed that Lucas Paqueta is being investigated by the FA and FIFA for possible betting violations.Man City have been hunting West Ham’s star player for the past week and are thought to be closing in on an £80 million deal.However, as reported by Hammers News, the proposed transfer from West Ham to Manchester City hit a snag yesterday.
According to sources, Paqueta’s move to champions Manchester City is off for the time being because the reasons are ‘private’ and being kept a’secret’.But, when the Paqueta claims surfaced yesterday evening, those motivations became evident.
The probe is claimed to revolve around alleged bets on yellow cards Paqueta received in games that were placed in Brazil and traced back to Paqueta’s native Paqueta island.They are currently merely allegations, and the Hammers star denies any wrongdoing.The Daily Mail, meanwhile, alleges that West Ham are ‘nervously waiting’ for star Paqueta to be called before the FA on Monday.
And it’s easy to understand why.
Because Paqueta threatens a “multi-year ban” or even jail time if found guilty of the claims, according to Fifpro criteria, but the West Ham player denies wrongdoing.
The Fifpro guidance sent to all professionals is extremely clear.
Many West Ham fans believed that any punishment for Paqueta would be less severe than the eight-month ban handed down to Ivan Toney.However, according to Fifpro, the allegations against Paqueta may be more serious because they fall under the area of match-fixing.
Fifpro is the only worldwide representative organization for professional footballers. It is a professional footballers’ trade union that represents its 64,000+ members.And Fifpro provides explicit guidance to all players, including West Ham’s Paqueta, on what constitutes match-fixing and the consequences.
According to Fifpro’s advise on the subject:
What is match-fixing?
Match-fixing is the illegal manipulation of the outcome or features of a sporting event, such as a specific throw-in, penalty-kick, corner, or yellow card.
What happens if I help fix a match?
You will at the very least face a multi-year suspension from football. Match-fixing is considered a criminal offense in many countries, which means that players who are found guilty of match-fixing face jail time.”
West Ham, the Football Association, and FIFA have yet to comment as Paqueta denies any misconduct ahead of his Monday hearing.
This is certainly a worst-case scenario that applies only if an offense has occurred and Paqueta is found guilty. And any probe would almost certainly take months. But it doesn’t get any more plain than that.
West Ham have yet to issue a statement on the topic, and Paqueta is likely to play against Chelsea on Sunday at the London Stadium.According to Sky Sports, Paqueta claims he has not placed any wagers and is surprised by the reports.
At the time of writing, the FA and FIFA had declined to respond.
Paqueta was included to the newest Brazil team but was dropped by the interim manager, along with Villarreal star Luiz Henrique, who is also being investigated.
West Ham and its fans will be hoping that the player can prove his innocence.
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