Lucas Paqueta cleared to play at Copa America by Brazil after FA charges for ‘breaching betting rules’

LUCAS PAQUETA will play for Brazil at this summer’s Copa America despite facing huge betting charges.

The West Ham star, 26, has been charged with spot-fixing offences by the FA who accused the midfielder of deliberately getting booked in four separate games.

Lucas Paqueta will be able to play for Brazil in the Copa America this summerGetty

Paqueta, who has been given until Monday to respond to the FA allegations, denies all charges and has vowed to clear his name but could face a ten-year ban if found guilty.

West Ham have insisted they will stand by their star player – whose prospective £85million move to Manchester City has been scuppered by the incident.

After the initial investigation emerged last year, Paqueta was left out of three consecutive Brazil squads before returning to face England in March.

He had already been named in the Copa America squad by manager Dorival Junior before the charges and the Brazilian Federation have now confirmed he will keep his place.

In a statement, the CBF said: “Given the facts reported by the English Federation, the CBF, supported by the joint opinion from the Legal and Governance and Compliance Directorates and the Integrity Unit, has decided to maintain the player’s call-up.

“Based on the information provided by the FA, it is categorically concluded that the player Lucas Paqueta, despite the behaviour for which he was accused authorising preventive removal (from the squad).

“He has not been penalised to date by the prosecuting body authorised to sanction him.

“It is right to say that the player is free to perform his professional job until the present moment, the source of his livelihood and that of his family, in a full and unrestricted manner, whether for his club or his country’s national team.”

Paqueta is accused of being deliberately booked in games against Leicester, Aston Villa, Leeds United and Bournemouth in order for others to benefit through betting.

A number of suspicious bets and accounts were tracked to Paqueta Island, just off Rio de Janeiro, where the former Lyon player was born.