Lucas Paquetá’s wife recalls probe: “he lost his dream club” | OneFootball

Duda Fournier got emotional while recalling the investigation into Lucas Paquetá

Flamengo “brought back” Lucas Paquetá at the beginning of this year, after the player made a huge effort to return home. In the meantime, the athlete’s wife, Duda Fournier, revealed the anguish the midfielder went through during the period when he was being investigated for alleged involvement with betting companies.

— He missed out on his dream team abroad, because it was his dream to go to (Manchester) City. That really affected him mentally. During that time, it was something that really shook him. I think people may have an idea of how bad it was, but Lucas and I always say that no one will ever know what we went through. No one will ever understand, you know? Even the people closest to us can’t really grasp what we felt every single day — she said.

What happened to Lucas Paquetá?

In May 2024, Lucas Paquetá was charged over alleged involvement in a betting scheme. At the time, the English Football Association accused the player of violating conduct rules related to sports betting. According to the report, the midfielder manipulated outcomes in four Premier League matches.

The FA even sought to have the player banned, but the Regulatory Commission concluded that there was not enough evidence. As a result, with the decision announced on July 31, 2025, Lucas Paquetá returned to action and was back on the pitch with the case closed.

It is important to remember that, at the time of the investigation, West Ham had already agreed on Lucas Paquetá’s move to Manchester City. However, amid the controversy and the possibility of the English FA banning the midfielder from football, City pulled out of the deal.

Why did Paquetá return to Flamengo?

Even after being cleared, Lucas Paquetá did not feel comfortable continuing in English football and therefore asked to return to Flamengo. As a result, after weeks of negotiations, the Rubro-Negro paid 42 million euros (R$ 245.6 million) to West Ham to sign the midfielder.

In addition, Lucas Paquetá and Flamengo agreed to a five-year contract, that is, until 2031. Since returning to Fla, the midfielder has played 24 matches and scored eight goals. It is worth noting that the player’s desire to return home was key to number 20’s comeback to Mais Querido.

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