According to reports, images from yesterday’s West Ham match showing Lucas Paqueta in tears after receiving a yellow card have shocked the football world. The Brazilian star has been facing betting allegations for months, with no verdict issued yet.

The English Football Association states that investigations into Paqueta are ongoing, accusing him of deliberately receiving yellow cards in several matches to assist illegal bettors in profiting large sums. This is why Paqueta broke down in tears upon receiving a yellow card yesterday.

Paqueta has been living under this accusation like a sword of Damocles for nearly two years. If proven guilty, the Brazilian star could face a lifetime ban, ending his football career. One can only imagine the immense pressure Paqueta endures both on and off the pitch.

Paqueta’s wife revealed today that these pressures have not only affected him but have also darkened the lives of his entire family.

Maria Eduarda Fornié, who married Paqueta in 2018 and is the mother of his two children, defended her husband: “I’ve never spoken about this before, and perhaps I shouldn’t, but I can’t stay silent about what my husband has endured. He has such strength and pride that it’s impossible not to admire him. We’ve been living in an absolute nightmare, a real hell for two years, but he hasn’t surrendered for a single moment. Lucas always tells us when we falter, ‘Don’t worry, the truth will come out eventually. I’m innocent, and they have no evidence against me. God knows everything and is aware of what we’ve been through.’ It’s only because of Lucas Paqueta that this family hasn’t been destroyed. People have treated him unfairly without knowing the truth.”