West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta Faces Charges for Alleged Betting Rule Violations

The Football Association announced on Thursday that Lucas Paqueta (26), midfielder for West Ham United, has been charged over four suspected breaches of betting regulations.

Paqueta, a Brazilian player, stands accused of intentionally seeking bookings during four Premier League matches in 2022 and 2023.

According to the FA’s statement, the charges assert that Paqueta attempted to influence the outcomes of these matches by deliberately seeking yellow cards from referees, to impact the betting market for the benefit of certain individuals.

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Paqueta has until June 3rd to respond to the charges and has firmly denied any wrongdoing.

Expressing surprise and disappointment, he stated on both Instagram and X, “For nine months, I have cooperated with every step of their investigation and provided all the information I can. I deny all 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.”

West Ham has acknowledged receipt of the charges and pledged support for the player throughout the process.

“The Club will continue to stand by and support the Player throughout the process and will make no further comment until the matter is concluded,” they stated.