Former Brazil World Cup winner Romario, now a senator and anti-corruption lawmaker, has called for an investigation into an alleged “cards for cash” scandal involving the uncle of West Ham midfielder Lucas Paquetá.
Romario is leading a parliamentary commission examining betting patterns in football. According to a report from the commission, Paquetá’s uncle, Bruno Tolentino, is on a list of suspicious gamblers. He is accused of profiting from bets on yellow cards received by his nephew and another Brazilian player, Luiz Henrique, when he played for Spanish club Real Betis.
“The eyes of our society can’t be turned away,” said Romario, a 1994 World Cup winner.
The commission report alleges that bank documents show Tolentino paid Henrique 30,000 reais ($5,200) in February 2023 to arrange for him to receive a yellow card in a La Liga match against Villarreal. On the same day, Paquetá was booked in a Premier League match against Aston Villa.
Both players deny any wrongdoing. They were summoned to testify before the commission but failed to appear.
Earlier this month, reports in Britain claimed the 27-year-old Paquetá was under investigation by the Football Association (FA) for alleged spot-fixing. He is accused of deliberately getting booked four times in Premier League matches for betting-related purposes.
The FA is reportedly considering a lifetime ban for Paquetá if found guilty.