Senator Jorge Kajuru (PSB-GO), president of the sports betting CPI, called for the removal of midfielder Lucas Paquetá from the Brazilian team.
The player is being investigated for match-fixing in England, and is currently playing in the Copa América in the United States with Brazil.
Lucas Paquetá and the betting CPI
- Player was invited to give testimony to the CPI of sports betting on June 18th;
- As he was invited and not summoned, the player is not obliged to attend;
- He is with the Brazilian team in the United States competing in the Copa América.
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Kajuru calls for Paquetá to be removed from the Brazilian national team
“The Brazilian National 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 National Team'”.
Lawyers gain more time to defend Paquetá
The first deadline for lawyers to present Lucas Paquetá’s defense in the accusation process regarding betting irregularities was June 3rd.
However, the player’s defense managed to get the postponement, with no date set yet. The argument was that the defense had little time to present a defense after the formal accusation was over 2,000 pages long.
From the formal accusation to the presentation of the defense, it would take 12 days, and the Independent Committee understood the short deadline for the defense and therefore postponed it.
It is the Independent Committee that will decide whether or not Paquetá was part of the manipulation scheme due to receiving a yellow card in four games.
Understand the accusation
According to the GE, the accusation against Paquetá indicates that the bets for him to receive a yellow card were made by family members, close people and friends of people who have a close relationship with Lucas Paquetá.
The actions were identified in municipalities in Baixada Fluminense, for example, which caught the attention of regulatory bodies such as SportRadar and Ibia (International Betting Integrity Association).
According to a report from The Sun, all yellow card bets in the Premier League generated a total of 100 thousand pounds (R$675 thousand).
Paquetá’s defense understands that this value would be irrelevant in the betting scenario, due to the values usually practiced.
While the process continues, Lucas Paquetá is in the Brazilian national team at the disposal of coach Dorival Júnior for friendlies and the Copa América.
