Lucas Paqueta has been charged by the FA (Picture: Getty)
West Ham and Brazil midfielder Lucas Paqueta has denied any wrongdoing after being charged by the FA for alleged breaches of betting rules.
The FA interviewed Paqueta back in September following suspicious betting patterns surrounding a yellow card he received during West Ham’s 1-1 draw with Bournemouth on the opening day.
The 26-year-old, who arrived in the Premier League in August 2022, was shown a yellow card in stoppage-time for pushing an opponent.
The bets were reported to the International Betting Integrity Association who alerted FIFA and the FA.
Paqueta is faced with four separate charges but insists he is innocent, saying in a statement: ‘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.’
More to follow…