Lucas Paqueta suffers another setback that will force West Ham to confront hard questions, according to a board source.
As a board source points out, Lucas Paqueta has taken another blow that will leave West Ham scratching their heads.
Nobody does it better than Lucas Paqueta, and he’s now one of us.
Every single game, West Ham fans make their Brazilian hero feel cherished.
Despite his intention to join Manchester City in the summer and his hug with Pep Guardiola and his colleagues last week, Hammers fans have always supported him.
Especially since it was revealed last month that West Ham player Paqueta is being investigated by the FA and FIFA for alleged betting violations.
If Paqueta is found guilty of the charges leveled against him, he may face a “multi-year ban” or perhaps a “jail sentence.”
Lucas Paqueta suffers another setback that will force West Ham to confront hard questions, according to a board source.
‘IF’ is, of course, the crucial word in this circumstance.
Since the charges surfaced, West Ham has rallied behind Paqueta. He has started every game and delivered performances worthy of his reputation as the club’s new talisman following the departure of Declan Rice.
His form has been unaffected by the scenario.
However, it appears that he is not receiving the same amount of support in his own country of Brazil.
Because Paqueta has suffered a new setback that will leave West Ham scratching their heads, a board insider has spoken out.
Brazil rejects West Ham United’s Samba star.
In the aftermath of the probe, Paqueta was dropped from Brazil’s squad for the September internationals.
Despite West Ham United’s staunch support for the midfielder and his inclusion in every game, Brazil appear to have abandoned Paqueta.
He was left out of the squad for the crucial 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Uruguay.
Last night, Brazil coach Fernando Diniz selected his squad, which included 23 players. However, West Ham’s Brazilian talisman is not among them.
What happened to the concept of innocent until proven guilty?
It will also have West Ham wondering, “What happened to innocent until proven guilty?”
Sean Whetstone, a Hammers board source, has done exactly that.
“What happened to innocent until proven guilty?” Whetstone, whose sources include Karren Brady and David Sullivan, asked.
“Brazil’s national coach appears to have dropped Hammer Lucas Paqueta from his FIFA 2026 world cup (qualifiers) squad due to alleged betting irregularities, despite no evidence of player involvement.”
In many ways, this is good news for the Hammers, but don’t underestimate the impact on a star who lives to play for his nation.
Of course, many West Ham fans, as well as David Moyes, may see it as a positive because it will give Paqueta time to rest and heal during a demanding moment.
Not playing for Brazil also reduces the possibility of injury.
But these established Brazilian talents live to play for their country and don the famed yellow jersey.
So we shouldn’t underestimate the influence this could have on Paqueta.
It comes after a senior Brazilian lawmaker stated that if Paqueta is found guilty, he should be banned for life.
And La Liga’s president stated that FIFA had’marked’ Paqueta and his co-accused Luiz Henrique.
