West Ham United’s Lucas Paqueta will face a hearing into allegations of spot-fixing in March, according to reports.
The Brazilian midfielder has been under scrutiny following accusations that he intentionally received yellow cards in four Premier League matches during the 2022-23 season. Paqueta, 27, denies the charges.
The investigation into Paqueta’s actions was initiated by the Football Association (FA) in the summer of 2023, after irregular betting patterns were detected.
These patterns were linked to a series of matches where Paqueta received yellow cards, and reportedly, bets were traced to Paqueta Island, the player’s birthplace in Brazil.
The charges stem from bookings in fixtures against Leicester City, Aston Villa, Leeds United, and Bournemouth, spanning from November 2022 to August 2023.
Despite the seriousness of the allegations, West Ham have publicly stood by their player. In May, the club issued a statement affirming their support for Paqueta, and the Brazilian has continued to play a key role in the first team.
Most recently, he was on the scoresheet in a 4-1 victory over Ipswich Town, where he contributed a goal to secure West Ham’s first home league win of the season.
According to The Sun, the club expects the hearing to take place before the current campaign concludes, though some within West Ham are reportedly frustrated by the timing and the prolonged nature of the investigation.
Should Paqueta be found guilty, the consequences could be severe, with punishments potentially including a life ban from professional football.
Manager Julen Lopetegui, who took charge of West Ham this season, has been cautious in how he handles the situation surrounding Paqueta.
The Spaniard has emphasised the importance of focusing on football, rather than dwelling on the charges.
“He’s trying to work very hard, trying to understand what we want from him,” Lopetegui explained. “We’re trying to help him to be better and better. He’s an important player.”
Lopetegui further elaborated on the club’s approach to managing the pressure on Paqueta.
“He’s managed this in a good way,” he said. “We try to help him but we don’t talk about this. We talk about football, the next match, about life but not about this.”
Paqueta is also facing two additional charges for failing to comply with the FA’s investigation. Nonetheless, his performances on the pitch have remained consistent.
The former Lyon player, who joined West Ham in 2022, was a key figure for the Hammers last season, scoring eight goals in 41 appearances across all competitions.
His contribution to the recent win over Ipswich was his second goal of the current campaign, having previously netted a penalty in the opening weekend victory against Aston Villa.
West Ham’s victory against Ipswich marked a significant upturn in their season, lifting them to 12th place in the Premier League table. Michail Antonio got the scoring underway within the first minute, only for Liam Delap to level for Ipswich shortly after.
However, further goals from Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen, and Paqueta ensured a convincing 4-1 win.
Reflecting on the result, Lopetegui was pleased with his team’s response.
“It’s always important [to win],” he told Sky Sports after the match.
“It was an important day for us but we deserved to win against a good team like Ipswich. We started very well but suffered a goal in an action I think we can avoid but after the mentality was strong.”
West Ham will now look to build on this momentum, but for Paqueta, the looming March hearing will cast a long shadow over his season. Should the FA’s allegations hold, the Brazilian faces not only the prospect of disciplinary action but potentially the end of his career in professional football.