West Ham United's Lucas Paqueta cleared of spot-fixing charges: Details
What's the story
Lucas Paqueta, a midfielder for West Ham United, has been cleared of all spot-fixing charges by an independent regulatory commission. The decision comes nearly two years after the Football Association (FA) launched an investigation against him in August 2023. The FA had accused the Brazilian international in May 2024 of deliberately getting booked to influence betting markets. Here are further details.
Charges
Details of the FA's investigation into Paqueta
The FA's investigation centered on four yellow cards Paqueta received during Premier League matches between November 2022 and August 2023. The charges stemmed from a match against Leicester City on November 12, 2022, and games against Aston Villa on March 12, 2023, Leeds United on May 21, 2023, and Bournemouth on August 12, 2023. If found guilty, the midfielder could have faced a lifetime ban from football.
Verdict
Paqueta guilty of failing to cooperate with the investigation
After a hearing, the independent regulatory commission found all four charges against Paqueta to be "not proven." However, he was found guilty of two counts of failing to cooperate with the investigation. The FA had accused him of breaching "FA Rule F3 in respect of alleged failures to comply pursuant to FA Rule F2," which relates to providing information and documents.
Reaction
'I have maintained my innocence'
In his first reaction since the FA's verdict, Paqueta said, "Since the first day of this investigation, I have maintained my innocence against these extremely serious accusations." He added that he is grateful to God and eager to return to playing football with a smile on his face. West Ham vice-chair Karren Brady also expressed relief at Paqueta's exoneration and praised him for his professionalism throughout this ordeal.
Information
A look at the player's numbers for West Ham
Paqueta has made 120 appearances for West Ham across three seasons. He owns 18 goals for the club in addition to making 14 assists. 92 of his appearances have come in the Premier League for West Ham. He owns 12 goals and 9 assists.