West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta has been cleared of spot-fixing charges and will face no punishment from the Football Association.
Paqueta was accused of trying to get himself booked to influence betting markets so that friends and family could benefit.
The Brazil international was cautioned in games against Leicester, Aston Villa and Leeds in the 2002-23 season and against Bournemouth the season after. Each game was the subject of suspicious betting patterns, with most traced to Paquetá Island off the coast of Rio de Janeiro where the player was born and from which he takes his name.
Paqueta charged with four breaches
The 27-year-old was charged with four breaches of FA Rule E5.1 which relates to a player seeking 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 denied the charges and an independent Regulatory Commission has found in his favour.
Two further charges of “alleged failures to comply with his obligations to answer questions and provide information to the FA’s investigation” were upheld, however, with the Regulatory Commission now having to decide on an appropriate sanction.
Paqueta was relieved the matter was now over and he can focus on the upcoming season.
He told West Ham’s official website: “Since the first day of this investigation, I have maintained my innocence against these extremely serious accusations. I can’t say anything more at this time, but I would like to express how grateful I am to God and how eager I am to return to playing football with a smile on my face.
“To my wife who never let go of my hand, to West Ham United, to the fans who always cheered me on, and to my family, friends and the legal team who have supported me – thank you for everything.”
Lucas has always performed despite charges – Brady
West Ham vice-chair Karren Brady added: “We are pleased Lucas has been cleared. He has maintained his innocence from the outset, and as a club we have resolutely stood by him and supported him throughout the process.
“Despite the incredible pressure on him, Lucas has performed week in and week out for the club, always giving everything. It has been a difficult time for Lucas and his family, but he has remained absolutely professional throughout and he is now looking forward to drawing a line under this episode, as is everyone at West Ham United.”
Paqueta joined West Ham from Lyon in August 2022 for a club-record fee of £51million. He came close to joining Manchester City 12 months later but the two-year-long investigation into the spot-fixing charges got underway around that time with the move breaking down as a result.
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2025-07-31 16:11:13
