After a nearly two-year betting investigation, West Ham United player Lucas Paquetá has been cleared of any wrongdoing by the FA. The Brazilian international’s £85m ($112m) transfer to Manchester City in August 2023 was allegedly scrapped after news of the probe broke.
The allegations centered around wagers placed on the 27-year-old getting a yellow card in four separate Premier League games during the 2022-2023 season, which resulted in total winnings of about £100,000 ($131,538). He faced a lifetime ban from soccer if found guilty, although he always maintained that he was innocent.
concerned that inaccurate reporting could have jeopardized his case
Despite the FA finding him guilty of being uncooperative with the investigation, an independent Regulatory Commission cleared him of the betting allegations on Thursday. The FA can still appeal the decision. Paquetá wasn’t happy with alleged leaks from insiders and was concerned that inaccurate reporting could have jeopardized his case.
Reacting to the news, the midfielder said that he is looking forward to returning to play with a smile on his face before thanking his wife, his club, and the fans for sticking by him. Paquetá described how the probe has impacted his life – after he burst into tears in May after getting a yellow card during a game, his wife remarked that they’d been “living a nightmare for two years.”
