Lucas Paqueta Misses Match Amid Betting Investigation

Lucas Paqueta, the West Ham midfielder, has been summoned to appear before Brazil's Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry regarding an ongoing investigation into illegal betting. He faces four counts of spot-fixing from the Football Association, which alleges he deliberately received yellow cards in specific Premier League matches to benefit betting markets. Despite having his initial appearance postponed, Paqueta is now set to testify on December 3, coinciding with West Ham's match against Leicester City, which he will miss. Throughout the ordeal, he has maintained his innocence and criticized the FA for leaks regarding his case, calling for an investigation into the source of this information. Recent reports also suggest the FA is bringing additional charges against him for alleged non-cooperation. The investigations are linked to suspicious betting patterns involving Paqueta and his uncle, who is also under scrutiny.