West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta is in trouble with the Football Association (FA) for allegedly getting himself deliberately booked in matches to affect the betting market. The charges against him relate to games played in 2022 and 2023, including one against Leicester City on 12 November 2022, where he received a yellow card. The Brazil international, who moved to West Ham from Lyon for £36.5 million, denied the allegations and vowed to clear his name.
Paqueta, who is also part of Brazil’s squad for the upcoming Copa America, is accused of intentionally seeking bookings to manipulate match outcomes and profit from betting. The FA charged him with “two breaches of FA Rule F3” for failing to provide necessary information and documents for the investigation. The midfielder, who had been cooperating with the inquiry, expressed surprise and disappointment at the charges brought against him.
This news emerged on the same day West Ham announced Julen Lopetegui as their new head coach. The club stated their support for Paqueta throughout the process. The midfielder has until 3 June to respond to the allegations. The authorities are investigating if his bookings during matches indeed reflected an attempt to influence the results for illicit gains. We will have to wait and see how this situation unfolds in the coming days.