West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta has been accused of involvement in spot-fixing activities during four Premier League matches. The Football Association (FA) has charged him for his alleged conduct in games against Leicester, Aston Villa, Leeds, and Bournemouth.
The FA statement states that Paqueta is accused of intentionally seeking to receive a card from the referee to manipulate the betting market.
The midfielder denied the allegations, writing: “I am extremely surprised and upset that The FA has decided to charge me.
“For nine months, I have co-operated 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 be providing any further comment.”
Paqueta has also been charged with two breaches of FA rules regarding failures to provide information and documents. In response, the midfielder denied the charges and expressed his surprise and disappointment in a statement.
He emphasized his cooperation with the investigation thus far and his intention to fight to clear his name.
West Ham has pledged its support to Paqueta, stating that the player categorically denies the breach and will continue to defend his position. The club will stand by him throughout the process.
Paqueta has until June 3 to respond to the charges, with the possibility of requesting an extension to the deadline.
Despite the charges, he has been called up by Brazil manager Dorival Junior for the Copa America this summer.
Last year, a proposed £80m transfer of Paqueta to Manchester City was called off due to the FA’s investigation into alleged betting breaches involving the player.
The investigation began when an unusually large number of bets were placed in Brazil on Paqueta receiving a yellow card during a match against Aston Villa.
The bets were made from accounts registered in Paqueta, an island off Rio de Janeiro, but he denies any involvement in placing them.
