English FA set to punish Lucas Paquetá despite betting case acquittal | OneFootball

Ex-Flamengo, Lucas Paquetá may face punishment for not contributing to investigations

A product of Flamengo's youth academy, Lucas Paquetá underwent a major investigation after being accused of alleged involvement with sports betting. However, after more than a year of trial, the midfielder was acquitted by the court. Even so, the English Football Association (FA) plans to punish the former Mengão player for not contributing to the case.

In a statement released this Wednesday (03), the FA confirmed that it will not appeal the acquittal of Lucas Paquetá. However, the federation stated that the midfielder will soon receive a punishment for not complying with Rule F3, regarding cooperation in investigations. According to the English media, the penalty is expected to be financial, with a fine imposed.

Why was Lucas Paquetá investigated?

The case began in May 2024, when the English Football Association (FA) accused Paquetá of attempting to manipulate bets by forcing yellow cards in four Premier League matches. The games investigated were against Leicester City (ENG), Aston Villa (ENG), Leeds United (ENG), and Bournemouth (ENG). In all of them, the midfielder received a warning.

The FA even requested the player's ban, but the Regulatory Commission concluded that there was not enough evidence. Thus, with the decision announced on July 31, Paquetá returned to play normally and resumed playing with the case closed.

Will Lucas Paquetá leave West Ham?

After the midfielder's acquittal of the charges, several European football teams have shown renewed interest in signing Lucas Paquetá. Aston Villa (ENG), for example, structured an offer of 47 million pounds (about R$ 347 million). However, the terms did not please West Ham (ENG), which chose to keep the former Flamengo player in the squad.

What is Lucas Paquetá's current situation?

Lucas Paquetá is currently available for the Brazilian National Team for the match this Thursday (04) against Chile. The game takes place at 9:30 PM (Brasília time) at Maracanã, for the penultimate round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers. As usual, Coluna do Fla will provide all the details of the game through their website and social media.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.