Brazil Retain Paqueta For Copa America Despite FA Betting Charges
Lucas Paqueta will not be excluded from Brazil's Copa America squad despite facing betting charges from the Football Association.
The West Ham United playmaker faces a lengthy ban from football after the FA alleged he deliberately had himself booked in four Premier League games over the last two seasons to influence the betting market.
Paqueta has until June 3 to respond to the charge, which he has denied.
It is alleged that yellow cards received by Paqueta in matches against Leicester City in November 2022, Aston Villa in March 2023, Leeds United in May 2023 and Bournemouth August 2023 were suspicious as an unusual number of bets were placed on that probability in his home country of Brazil.
In the meantime, Brazil believe Paqueta is innocent until proven guilty.
"Given the facts reported by the English Federation, the CBF, supported by the joint opinion from the Legal and Governance and Compliance Directorates and the Integrity Unit, has decided to maintain the player's call-up," the CBF said in a statement signed by president Ednaldo Rodrigues.
"Based on the information provided by the FA, it is categorically concluded that the player, Lucas Paqueta, despite the behaviour for which he was accused authorising preventive removal [from the squad] ... has not been penalised to date by the prosecuting body authorised to sanction him.
"It is right to say that the player is free to perform his professional job until the present moment, the source of his livelihood and that of his family, in a full and unrestricted manner, whether for his club or his country's national team."
Paqueta has 44 caps and ten goals for the Brazil national team.
