West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta has been charged with misconduct by the Football Association (FA) in relation to alleged betting breaches.
The FA opened an investigation into Paqueta last August. He has now been charged with four alleged breaches of FA Rule E5.1 in relation to his conduct in West Ham’s Premier League fixtures against Leicester City on November 12, 2022, Aston Villa on March 12, 2023, Leeds United on May 21, 2023, and Bournemouth on August 12, 2023.
In a statement, the FA said that Paqueta “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 has also been charged with two breaches of FA Rule F3 “in respect of alleged failures to comply pursuant to FA Rule F2”.
FA Rule F2 allows the FA to require any participant to attend and answer questions, provide documents, information, or other materials upon reasonable notice. If a participant does not comply with these requests, it can be considered a breach of FA Rule F3, which constitutes misconduct.
The 26 year-old has until June 3 to respond to the charges.
Paqueta said on social media: “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 further comment.”
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West Ham, meanwhile, said that Paqueta “denies the breach and will continue to robustly defend his position”.
They added: “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.”
Paqueta joined West Ham in August 2022 from Lyon and has been a key player for the east London club since his arrival.
This season, the Brazil international has scored eight goals and assisted seven times in 43 appearances across all competitions.
He has been linked with a move away from West Ham. Last summer, Manchester City explored a deal for the player, only for the potential transfer to stall.
(Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images)