The English Premier League made waves again, a player suspected of gambling case shocked the football world. According to the Daily Mail, West Ham United midfielder Lucas Pakoda is accused of intervening in soccer betting, violating the rules of the English FA, and is now under deep investigation by the authorities. Originally expected to join Manchester City for 70 million pounds (about 700 million Hong Kong dollars), this dream is now shattered.
The English FA regulations explicitly prohibit its league players from participating in any form of gambling, Pakoda is suspected of placing bets on soccer matches in Brazil through "people close to him". The FA has launched an investigation, but has not yet issued a formal summons to him. In the face of the allegations, Pakoda quickly denied and is actively seeking legal assistance to clear his name.
The incident led to City immediately suspending their plans to bring in Pakda. Fernando Diniz, the interim head coach of the Brazilian national team, has also stated that Pacerda will not be called up for international matches in the short term so that he can focus on his personal issues.
However, West Ham United manager David Moyes still intends to include Pakida in his starting XI for Sunday night's (20) Premier League home game against Chelsea, according to The Sun UK. Moyes, while admitting that City had been interested in signing Pakda, was tight-lipped on other issues.
Pakida joined West Ham from Lyon in the summer of last season for a transfer fee of £50 million (about HK$500 million), making it the most expensive deal in the team's history. He made 41 appearances for West Ham last season, scoring five goals and was a key player in the team's UEFA Champions League win. He also suited up in the last Premier League match against Bournemouth.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola had hoped to sign Pakida to fill the void left by the seriously injured Kevin De Bruyne, but that plan has now been derailed.
It is not the first time that players have been involved in gambling incidents in English football, and a recent example is Binford striker Aidan Toney, who was heavily fined in May this year with an eight-month suspension and a £50,000 (HK$500,000) fine for repeated breaches of the FA's gambling regulations between 2017 and 2021.
