West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta has been charged by the FA over alleged breaches of betting rules.
The charges, which Paqueta strongly denies, allege the player deliberately got booked “for the improper purpose of affecting the betting market”.
The 26-year-old insists he is “extremely surprised and upset” by the charges, which concern matches against Leicester City on 12 November 2022; Aston Villa on 12 March 2023; Leeds United on 21 May 2023; and AFC Bournemouth on 12 August 2023.
The FA stated the Brazil international is alleged to have “directly sought to influence the progress, conduct, or any other aspect of, or occurrence in these matches by intentionally seeking to receive a card from the referee for the improper purpose of affecting the betting market in order for one or more persons to profit from betting”.
Paqueta swiftly responded on social media, strongly refuting the allegations in a statement: “I am extremely surprised and upset that The FA has decided to charge me.
“For nine months, I have cooperated with every step of their investigation and provided all the information I can. I deny the charges in their entirety and will fight with every breath to clear my name. Due to the ongoing process I will not be providing any further comment.”
The news comes hours after the Hammers appointed Julen Lopetegui as their new manager, following David Moyes’ departure.
And the club maintained they will “continue to stand by and support the player throughout the process”.
There are further charges relating to two alleged breaches of “FA Rule F3 in respect of alleged failures to comply pursuant to FA Rule F2”, with Paqueta tasked with responding to the charges before 3 June or requesting an extension.
Paqueta enjoyed a fine season for West Ham, scoring four goals and making six more in the Premier League, while he impressed in the Hammers’ Europa League run, scoring four goals.
Before his departure at the London Stadium, Moyes hailed Paqueta’s character earlier in the campaign, picking the Brazilian to play against Chelsea last August after the FA launched an investigation.
Moyes said: “He’s a solid and tough character, so no problems. I thought 65,000 people stood to their feet and applauded him the whole game because of what he did.
“He went the whole way, played as well as anybody, showed character, never hid away from the ball ever. His performance was very, very good, especially in the second half. He’s just a very good player.”