May 23, (THEWILL)- West Ham United midfielder, Lucas Paqueta, has been charged with multiple misconduct breaches by the England Football Association over alleged betting offences.Â
In a statement released on Thursday, the FA outlined four charges against the Brazilian international for intentionally seeking yellow cards to influence betting markets across four English Premier League matches last season.Â
The governing body alleges Paqueta “directly sought to influence the progress, conduct, or any other aspect” of league games against Leicester City, Aston Villa, Leeds United and AFC Bournemouth between November 2022 and August 2023. He stands accused of “intentionally seeking to receive a card from the referee for the improper purpose of affecting the betting market” to allow third parties to profit.
In addition to the four E5.1 rule breaches relating to the matches, Paqueta also faces two charges of failing to comply with FA regulations under Rule F3. The 25-year-old, who joined West Ham from Lyon in 2022 for a reported £51 million, has until June 3 to respond to the charges, unless an extension is requested.
The FA’s integrity unit has been investigating the cases for several months. Strict rules prohibit players, coaches and club officials from influencing games due to betting interests. If found guilty, Paqueta could face a significant ban and a heavy fine. At the moment, West Ham declined to comment on the ongoing disciplinary case.
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
