Lucas Paqueta always joked about going on the Brazilian version of Big Brother one day. He loved watching the famous old reality show, a national obsession in his homeland, and was fascinated by the challenges it presented to the contestants locked inside the house’s four walls.
For the past two years, Paqueta has come to know exactly how it feels to have the eyes of the world fixed upon you, passing their judgment on your every move, with seemingly no escape or anywhere to hide.
Ever since Mail Sport broke the news in August 2023 that the West Ham forward was under investigation over whether he deliberately received yellow cards in four Premier League matches to influence betting markets, Paqueta has lived under a cloud of suspicion with his integrity and career on the line.