West Ham midfielder Lucas Paquetá has been charged by the FA for breaching betting rules. The FA alleges that Paquetá attempted to influence the outcome or specific occurrences within matches by intentionally seeking to receive a card from the referee to manipulate the betting market for profit.
The charges relate to three matches from the 2022-23 Premier League season—his first with West Ham—and the opening fixture of the 2023-24 season. The specific games in question were against Leicester City on November 12, 2022, Aston Villa on March 12, 2023, Leeds United on May 21, 2023, and AFC Bournemouth on August 12, 2023.
Paquetá has denied these allegations in an Instagram post, expressing his surprise and distress over the FA’s decision to charge him. He stated that he has fully cooperated with the investigation and provided all necessary information. He vehemently denies the charges and is determined to clear his name.
The FA has given Paquetá until June 3 to formally respond to the charges.
