The president of the Sports Betting CPI, senator Jorge Kajuru (PSB-GO), suggested the removal of midfielder Lucas Paquetá from the Brazilian team. The recommendation is based on the player’s alleged involvement in a match-fixing scheme.
Paquetá, called up to defend the team in the Copa América, is being investigated over allegations of deliberately receiving yellow cards in Premier League games.
On June 18, Lucas Paquetá received an invitation to testify at the Sports Betting CPI. However, as it is an invitation and not a subpoena, the player is not obliged to attend.
“The Brazilian team had to remove Paquetá and say: ‘First you prove whether you are innocent or guilty in this case of manipulation in England, a millionaire player from the Brazilian team'”, said senator Jorge Kajuru.
The CPI president emphasized that any player or referee official involved in match-fixing should be banned from football. The strict stance reflects the seriousness of the accusations and the need to preserve the integrity of the sport.
Lucas Paquetá case
West Ham midfielder Lucas Paquetá faces accusations of deliberately causing four yellow cards in Premier League games, allegedly to benefit punters. The Sun reports that the English FA is seeking to ban the player from football if the allegations are confirmed.
Paquetá is a prominent figure in the Brazilian national team, so his involvement in such allegations could have a significant impact on the team. The investigation is ongoing, and the player’s status with the national team remains uncertain.
According to Kajuru, the decision to remove Paquetá from the team would be an important step to show that Brazilian football does not tolerate this type of behavior.
This Wednesday (26), the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) revealed a drop in suspected cases in national football. Recent data shows a 67% reduction in games suspected of manipulation, comparing January to June 2023 with the same period in 2024.
When only the games under the CBF‘s jurisdiction were analyzed, the decrease was even more drastic, reaching 92.8%, going from 14 to just one suspected case.