West Ham United have formally confirmed that Lucas Paquetá has been cleared of misconduct charges brought by the Football Association, ending a protracted saga that has loomed over the Brazilian mi...
West Ham United have formally confirmed that Lucas Paquetá has been cleared of misconduct charges brought by the Football Association, ending a protracted saga that has loomed over the Brazilian midfielder for nearly two years.
Back in August 2023, the Football Association launched an official investigation into Paqueta over suspicious betting patterns.
Nearly a year later in May 2024, the FA announced that they had charged the Brazil international with allegedly intentionally getting himself booked in four matches, therefore breaching FA Rules E5 and F3.
Paqueta always strongly denied the allegations at that has been borne out on Thursday with this statement from the club: “West Ham United can confirm that an independent Regulatory Commission has cleared Lucas Paquetá of misconduct charges made against him by the FA for alleged breaches of FA Rule E5. The Club has stood by Lucas since the very start of a long and difficult process.”
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… he is now looking forward to drawing a line under this episode.”
Paquetá commented: “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… to West Ham United… to the fans… and to my family, friends and my legal team who have supported me – thank you for everything.”
📸 Patrick McDermott - 2025 Getty Images
Category: General Sports
