"Will fight with every breath to clear my name" - Lucas Paqueta responds on social media after being charged by FA for alleged breaches

West Ham United star Lucas Paqueta has released a statement following the charges from The FA regarding a breach in betting rules. The Brazilian has expressed his surprise and added that he is upset by the decision made to charge him.

The Hammers star claims that he has cooperated with The FA for nine months and denied all charges. He has vowed to fight to clear his name and posted the following on his social media accounts:

“I’m extremely surprised and upset to see that the FA have decided to charge me. For nine months, I’ve cooperated 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 provide any further comment."

Manchester City were linked with a move for Paqueta last summer but opted out because of the rumors. They had reignited their interest this summer, but the Brazilian has now been officially charged.

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The FA claims Lucas Paqueta breached two rules

The FA have released a statement and claimed that Lucas Paqueta was involved in betting scams. They believe that the West Ham United star intentionally got booked in matches against Leicester City, Aston Villa, Leeds United, and Bournemouth from November 2022 to August 2023.

The statement read:

"West Ham United's Lucas Paqueta has been charged with misconduct in relation to alleged breaches of FA Rules E5 and F3. The player has been charged with four breaches of FA Rule E5.1 in relation to his conduct in the club's Premier League fixtures against Leicester City on 12 November 2022; Aston Villa on 12 March 2023; Leeds United on 21 May 2023; and AFC Bournemouth on 12 August 2023."

It continued:

"It's alleged that he directly sought to influence the progress, conduct, or any other aspect of, or occurrence in these matches by intentionally seeking to receive a card from the referee for the improper purpose of affecting the betting market in order for one or more persons to profit from betting.

"Lucas Paqueta has also been charged with two breaches of FA Rule F3 in respect of alleged failures to comply pursuant to FA Rule F2. The player has until 03 June 2024 to provide a response to these charges subject to any request for an extension to this deadline. "

Lucas Paqueta has until June 3 to respond to the charges. West Ham United have expressed their surprise at the charges but are yet to release an official statement.