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West Ham midfielder Lucas Paquetá has been charged by England’s Football Association (FA) with breaches of betting rules.
The FA charges state that Paquetá tried 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 FA statement said the breaches relate to three matches from the 2022-23 season, his first in the Premier League with the east London club, and the opening fixture of the 2023-24 campaign.
The games came against Leicester City on November 12 2022, Aston Villa on March 12 2023, Leeds United on May 21 2023, and AFC Bournemouth on August 12 2023.
Paquetá denied the charges in an Instagram post.
“I am extremely surprised and upset that the FA has decided to charge me,” it said. “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. I will not be providing any further comment.”
The FA statement noted that Paquetá has until June 3 to formally respond to the charges.
In August 2023, sources told ESPN that the FA was investigating Paquetá over potential breaches. He has continued to play for West Ham during the investigation and was named the Brazil squad for next month’s Copa América.
Paquetá helped West Ham lift the Europa Conference League trophy in his first season at the London Stadium following a £50m move from Lyon in 2022. This season, he registered four goals and six assists as West Ham finished ninth.
He has also had spells at AC Milan and Flamengo and was part of Brazil‘s squad at the World Cup in Qatar.