West Ham's Lucas Paqueta Charged with Deliberate Yellow Cards in Premier League Matches
West Ham's midfielder, Lucas Paqueta, faces charges from the Football Association for allegedly intentionally receiving yellow cards to influence betting markets. The charges stem from four Premier League fixtures: against Leicester City on November 12, 2022; Aston Villa on March 12, 2023; Leeds United on May 21, 2023; and Bournemouth on August 12, 2023.
The 26-year-old Brazilian international, who joined West Ham from Lyon for £36.5m in August 2022, has been under scrutiny since last summer due to suspicious betting activities. The FA alleges that Paqueta sought to influence match outcomes by deliberately provoking referees to issue yellow cards, impacting the betting market for profit.
Paqueta expressed surprise and dismay at the charges, asserting his cooperation with the investigation and denying all allegations. He faces additional charges for alleged breaches of FA Rule F3 regarding failure to comply with information requests.
The charges coincide with West Ham's announcement of Julen Lopetegui as their new head coach following David Moyes' departure. The club affirmed its support for Paqueta throughout the process.
Paqueta, selected for Brazil's Copa America squad, has until June 3 to respond to the charges. If found guilty, he could face a substantial ban, akin to Kynan Isaac's ten-year ban in 2022 for spot-fixing during an FA Cup tie.
Details of the charged matches are as follows:
1. West Ham 0-2 Leicester City - November 12, 2022:
Paqueta booked for a challenge on Leicester's Boubakary Soumare in the 60th minute, with Leicester leading 1-0.
2. West Ham 1-1 Aston Villa - March 12, 2023:
Paqueta booked for a challenge on Aston Villa's John McGinn in the 70th minute, with the score tied at 1-1.
3. West Ham 3-1 Leeds United - May 21, 2023:
Paqueta booked for a foul on Leeds' Crysencio Summerville in the 65th minute, with the score tied at 1-1.
4. West Ham 1-1 Bournemouth - August 12, 2023:
Paqueta booked for handball in the 94th minute, with the match ending in a 1-1 draw.
