MX23RW : Friday, January 10 04:17:54| >> :120:7321:7321:

"I'm extremely surprised" - West Ham United's Lucas Paqueta reacts after FA confirm betting charge

© Reuters
West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta admits he is "extremely surprised and upset" after being charged by the Football Association with misconduct in relation to alleged betting breaches.

The Football Association has confirmed that West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta has been charged with misconduct in relation to alleged betting breaches.

Paqueta is alleged to have affected the betting market in his native Brazil by intentionally receiving yellow card by referees across four Premier League fixtures.

The allegations first surfaced in August last year when the 26-year-old was under investigation by both FIFA and the FA, and the midfielder was interviewed by the latter before granting them access to his phone.

Paqueta has continuously denied all charges and stated in March that he is "happy to be helping as much as I can" with the investigation.

The FA have now released a statement confirming that the Brazil international has been charged, although they are yet to confirm if and how he will be punished.

West Ham United's Lucas Paqueta pictured on May 28, 2023© Reuters

FA release statement confirming Paqueta charge

An FA statement released on Thursday read: "West Ham United'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 City on November 12 2022; Aston Villa on March 12 2023; Leeds United on May 21 2023; and AFC Bournemouth on August 12 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.

"Lucas Paqueta has also been charged with two breaches of FA Rule F3 in respect of alleged failures to comply pursuant to FA Rule F2.

"The player has until June 3 2024 to provide a response to these charges subject to any request for an extension to this deadline.

"The FA will be making no further comment until the conclusion of this case."

Paqueta "extremely surprised and upset" by FA charge

Paqueta has since taken to Instagram to respond to the FA's charge against him, saying: "I'm extremely surprised and upset to see that the FA have decided to charge me.

"For nine months, I've 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 provide any further comment".

Prior to the investigation last year, Paqueta was strongly linked with a move to Premier League champions Manchester City, who were reportedly prepared to pay around £80m to sign the midfielder.

A transfer to the Etihad Stadium ultimately failed to materialise and he stayed at West Ham, where he has contributed with eight goals and seven assists in 43 games across all competitions during the 2023-24 season.

It is understood that Man City still hold an interest in Paqueta, who is under contract at the London Stadium until June 2027.

At the time of Paqueta's investigation last year, the midfielder was omitted from the Brazil squad, but he has since been selected as part of a 26-man squad ahead of the nation's 2024 Copa America campaign later this summer.

ID:544357:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect11533:
Written by
Oliver Thomas

Click here for more stories about Lucas Paqueta

Click here for more stories about Manchester City

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
A general view of the FA Cup trophy is seen inside the stadium before the match on January 28, 2023
Read Next:
The greatest FA Cup finals of all time
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free daily transfer newsletter! Sent twice a day during the transfer window.
Read more about Lucas Paqueta Football
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool19144147192846
2Arsenal20117239182140
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest20124429191040
4Chelsea20106439241536
5Newcastle UnitedNewcastle20105534221235
6Manchester CityMan City2010463627934
7Bournemouth209653023733
8Aston Villa209563032-232
9Fulham207943027330
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2061043029128
11Brentford208393835327
12Tottenham HotspurSpurs20731042301224
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd206592328-523
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham206592439-1523
15Crystal Palace204972128-721
16Everton193881525-1017
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2044123145-1416
18Ipswich TownIpswich2037102035-1516
19Leicester CityLeicester2035122344-2114
20Southampton2013161244-326


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!