Lucas Paqueta says he is “extremely surprised and upset” after being charged by the FA for betting breaches.
The West Ham midfielder, 26, is accused of deliberately trying to get yellow cards in four different Premier League matches following an FA investigation.
He wrote on X: “I am extremely surprised and upset that the FA has decided to charge me. For nine months, I have co-operated with 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.”
— Lucas Paquetá (@LucasPaqueta97) May 23, 2024
Paqueta was also charged with failing to comply with the FA’s investigation, which was triggered last summer following suspicious betting activity around a yellow card he picked up against Bournemouth in August.
He was interviewed last September and was ordered to hand over his phone in order to aid the investigation.
The FA’s statement read: “West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta has been charged with misconduct in relation to alleged breaches of FA Rules E5 and F3.
“The player has been charged with four breaches of FA Rule E5.1 in relation to his conduct in the club’s Premier League fixtures against Leicester on 12 November 2022, Aston Villa on 12 March 2023, Leeds on 21 May 2023, and Bournemouth on 12 August 2023.
“It’s alleged that he 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 joined the Hammers for a reported £51million in the summer of 2022 and has made 84 appearances for the club.
