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NEW DELHI — Following the statement posted by the Football Association (FA) charging Lucas Paqueta about alleged breaches of betting regulations, reports suggested that West Ham fears that the Brazilian’s career may be over.
According to a report by The Guardian, the Brazilian midfielder may be asked to serve a multi-year ban which could ultimately be served at the expense of his career.
The governing body of English football in a statement said, "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."
The yellow cards in question were against Leicester, Aston Villa, Leeds and Bournemouth in 2022 and 2023.
Paqueta has also been charged with two breaches of FA Rule F3 in respect of alleged failures to comply pursuant to FA Rule F2.
"I am extremely surprised and upset that the FA has decided to charge me for nine months. I have 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,” said Paqueta through a post on Instagram.
The new development is not what new manager Julen Lopetegui would have wanted to hear on the same day he was announced as the new Hammers manager.
The Brazilian has been linked to a big money move to Manchester City and the charge by FA has caused a derail in their summer plan as the club would have been making plans on which players to sign for the club once they had gotten the major cash influx.
"Lucas categorically denies the breach and will continue to robustly defend his position. The club will continue to stand by and support the player throughout the process," said the statement posted by West Ham.