Yellow Card Scandal: West Ham Player Under Investigation for Betting Fraud

The Football Association of England is probing West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta for allegedly getting a yellow card on purpose to cash in on bets placed by his associates in Brazil.

According to several major English media outlets, Paqueta is suspected of deliberately receiving a caution from the referee in at least one match last season, while his entourage in Brazil had bet on that outcome with bookmakers.

The match in question was the Round 27 of the Premier League clash between West Ham and Aston Villa on March 12th this year. 

On that day, Betway, the sponsor of West Ham, saw a spike in bets from new accounts predicting that the Brazilian player would be shown a yellow card — which he was in the second half.

Interestingly, a similar pattern of bets was also observed on March 12th for another Brazilian player, 22-years-old Luiz Henrique, who plays for Real Betis in La Liga. He also got a yellow card in a match against Villarreal. The coincidence has raised doubts about the integrity of the players and the bets.

The FA is looking into both cases to see if there is any connection between the players and the bettors, and if they violated any rules or laws. Paqueta, who has been waiting for a transfer to Manchester City, may see his move delayed because of the probe. Neither West Ham nor the FA have commented on the matter so far.