A senator in Brazil believes a lifetime ban is appropriate for any football player convicted of serious match-fixing offences. [Image: Shutterstock.com]
A serious problem
A senator in Brazil wants players like Lucas Paquetá banned from football for life if they are found guilty of involvement in match-fixing. Senator Jorge Kajuru, the next president of the Sports Betting Commission in Congress, warned players at home and abroad about disrupting the integrity of games.
Eleven Brazilian players have been sanctioned by FIFA for this type of offense
He pointed out that up to 11 Brazilian players have been sanctioned by FIFA for this type of offense. Speaking about the punishments for the violators, Kajuru said: “The punishments range from 360 days suspension to a fresh ban from playing football, which is the punishment I prefer.”
The senator highlighted that Ygor Catatau, Matheus Gomes and Gabriel Tota have all received life bans this year, with another eight players serving bans of between 360 and 720 days.
Build reputation
Senator Kajuru addressed the ongoing investigations against Real Betis player Luiz Henrique and West Ham’s Lucas Paquetá. The pair are currently under investigation by the Spanish and English Football Associations respectively after people in Brazil won significant sums by betting on them receiving yellow cards in certain games.
he will await the results of the investigation
Kajuru does not want Brazil, which has the most soccer players in the world, to gain a reputation for engaging in illegal activities related to sports betting. He says he will wait for the results of the investigation to see if the players will be punished. The senator also explained that the respective associations could try to achieve a territorial expansion of any sanctions imposed by FIFA so that they would be applicable around the world.
Ongoing investigations
In August it was announced that the English Football Association (FA) was investigating Lucas Paquetá. He was close to an £80 million ($100 million) transfer to Manchester City before these revelations became public and ultimately did not join the club despite agreeing to a deal in principle.
Lucas Paquetá has made 42 appearances for the Brazilian national team, scoring nine goals for the team. Luiz Henrique has no international caps for the senior national team and moved to Real Betis in the summer of 2022.
The International Betting Integrity Association has alerted FIFA and the FA to suspicious betting activity surrounding a yellow card received by the attacking midfielder in a match on March 12. Some of his relatives in Brazil allegedly created Betway accounts on the day of the game and bet the maximum possible amount meaning he would get a yellow card.
Luiz Henrique received a yellow card for “ignoring” the referee’s instructions during his game the same day, and Paquetá’s relatives had also bet that the 22-year-old would get a card in the game against Villarreal.
