A Premier League star is reportedly at risk of being banned for life by the country's Football Association (FA).
West Ham United star Lucas Paqueta was last month charged with misconduct after he was alleged to have intentionally got himself yellow-carded on a number of occasions to profit from betting.
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Now, however, it has been reported that the midfielder could face a lifetime suspension from professional football.
According to The Sun, there is a recommendation on the FA charge sheet to ban the player for life if he is to be found guilty.
It has further been suggested that the combined winnings from the 26-year-old picking up yellow cards in matches against Leicester City, Aston Villa, and Leeds United during the 2022/23 campaign and against AFC Bournemouth this season came to £100 000 (around R2.3 million).
It is claimed that the stakes ranged from £7 (R166) to £400 (R9 500), with 60 people said to have placed bets on the Brazilian to pick up a booking in those matches.
The player initially had until 3 June to provide a response to the charges, but it is believed that the player's legal team have requested an extension, which is said to have been accepted.
Paqueta's lawyers will reportedly present an argument in which they will protest that the evidence against him is purely circumstantial.
Similar instances occurred when Stratford Town defender Kynan Isaac bet on himself to receive a booking during an FA Cup encounter in 2021. He was suspended for 10 years.
Before that, Lincoln City defender Bradley Wood received a six-year suspension for purposefully picking up two yellow cards in a domestic tournament during 2016/17 campaign.
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The FA, meanwhile, are believed to feel that the Brazilian midfielder's offences are of an even more serious nature.
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