West Ham’s midfielder, Lucas Paqueta, is determined to fight tirelessly to clear his name following charges of four counts of spot-fixing. These accusations, made by the Football Association, suggest that Paqueta, a Brazilian player, deliberately sought a referee’s booking during Premier League games against Leicester, Aston Villa, Leeds, and Bournemouth in a bid to manoeuvre the betting market.
Paqueta has disputed these charges vehemently and has expressed his shock and dismay at the Football Association’s decision to file them. He revealed, via his social media platforms, that he had collaborated with the investigators during the nine-month investigation and furnished them with all necessary information. He added that he was rejecting the accusations completely and was committed to exonerating his name. He, however, clarified that he would not make further comments as the process was still ongoing.
The player’s club, West Ham, has expressed its unwavering support for him, emphasising that Paqueta adamantly denies the infractions and remains opposed to the charges. A club representative also stated that the club backs the player and would withhold further comments until the case is closed.
In addition to these allegations, the Football Association has charged Paqueta with “F3 rule failures” in connection with two alleged non-compliances with the FA’s F2 Rule, which pertains to required provision of information and documents.
The Football Association insists that Paqueta sought to manipulate the outcome of games by intentionally earning a card from the referee with the ill-intentioned goal of affecting the betting market and subsequently profiting from bets. Paqueta has until the 3rd of June to respond to these charges, subject to deadline extensions.
Should the player be found guilty of spot-fixing, he could face punitive measures ranging from a half-year suspension to permanent prohibition from the sport.