West Ham United star Lucas Paqueta could be banned for a very long time if he’s found guilty of potential betting breaches.
Lucas Paqueta rocked West Ham United’s Premier League campaign in August last year, when it emerged that he was being investigated for his alleged involvement in a betting scam.
It was claimed in the Brazilian media that a decision was due to be made on the 26-year-old’s future on June 10th, when senator Jorge Kajuru was set to meet with other members of the ‘The Parliamentary Inquiry Commission’.
No news has emerged since then though, regarding whether the Hammers star will be punished in his homeland or not.
So as things stand, nobody really knows whether or not Paqueta will be playing for West Ham in the 2024/25 season, or any other team for that matter.
Losing the Brazilian to a long-term ban would be an unmitigated disaster for the Hammers.
One footballer is backing a severe punishment for the 26-year-old former Lyon star though…
Lucas Paqueta ‘should be banned for 40 years’ for betting breaches
The Hammers star has plenty of support inside the London Stadium, especially from players like Edson Alvarez.
However, those outside of the club are slightly more cynical it seems.
Kynan Isaac was handed a 10-year ban back in 2021 after being found guilty of purposely picking up a yellow card, after betting on himself to be booked.
When speaking to The Athletic, Isaac explained why he believes Paqueta should be handed a 40-year ban for his crimes.
He said, “You can’t give me a 10-year ban for one charge and then expect me to say nothing if someone with four of the same charges receives a lesser sentence. How could you justify that? It would be impossible to justify that.”
Isaac continued, “We’ll see what they give him, if he’s found guilty, and then we’ll go from there. It will be very interesting to see if they keep up with the guidelines they have now set. I’ve done it one time and got 10 years. It’s basic maths, he should get 40 years and not play football again. But do I see it happening? Probably not.”
The main thing that Isaac is missing here is that Paqueta hasn’t been found guilty of anything yet.
And there is another issue with what the former Stratford Town defender is saying. Paqueta didn’t bet on himself to get booked, like the 31-year-old did.
There is a long and winding road ahead for the West Ham star. I’m just praying that he genuinely hasn’t done anything wrong, and gets cleared of all charges levelled against him.
If Lucas Paqueta is found guilty of the betting charges though, he will unfortunately be banned for a very long time indeed, I don’t think there’s any doubt about that.
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