Lucas Paquetá’s family is now the focus of an investigation by the English Football Association (FA) due to alleged connections to a match-fixing scandal.
Reports indicate that Paquetá’s uncle and cousin, Bruno and Yan Tolentino, made payments exceeding £5,000 to former Real Betis striker Luiz Henrique shortly after he received two questionable yellow cards.
This prompted La Liga and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to initiate their own inquiries.
The betting irregularities tied to Henrique’s yellow cards have raised suspicions regarding Paquetá’s involvement in similar activities. He faces four serious charges of match-fixing, which could lead to severe consequences for the midfielder.
The suspicious betting patterns involving both Paquetá and Henrique were flagged by Betway, the online gambling company that sponsors West Ham. It is alleged that many of the problematic bets associated with Paquetá originated from family members, complicating the ongoing investigation.
In a recent interview with the Brazilian media outlet UOL, Bruno Tolentino confirmed that he transferred £5,500 to Henrique but claimed the money was for a personal loan and not linked to any illegal activities.
He stated: “It was money that I owed him and I paid it. It was an agreement between us. It was money that I owed him and he had lent it to me. We agreed to pay it back and we did. When I had the money to pay it back, I paid it. I can play, I’m not prohibited. I just can’t have privileged information. From Luiz Henrique, it was pure luck, man. It’s one in a million.”
The English FA reportedly did not know about Tolentino’s involvement until this recent disclosure and is now expanding its investigation, as reported by The Sun.
While Paquetá has yet to face a formal disciplinary hearing, a three-person independent commission is anticipated to oversee the case once the English FA concludes its inquiries. If found guilty, Paquetá could potentially receive a lifetime ban from professional football.
