A West Ham united player is in trouble with more than just his coach in a recent turn of events. Despite having a decent season, this midfielder is in hot water as he finds himself in a battle with the FA, the football regulating agency that takes care of the English leagues in the United Kingdom.
The Premier League is one of the most well known leagues in the world, so it is no wonder there are bets happening during every single match – but if one of the players is knowingly involved in something that could hinder the integrity of the game, they will get caught.
And that is exactly where one West Ham united player has found himself just a few days after the end of the tense 2023-2024 Premier League season that crowned Manchester City champions yet again.
West Ham Midfielder in Trouble with the FA
“They are going to be key to all of our achievements”
Focused on fulfilling our goals, together ⚒️ pic.twitter.com/yDVkXUJbAq
— West Ham United (@WestHam) May 24, 2024
The Football Assocation wasted no time in charging West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta with purposefully receiving yellow cards during matches. Whether he fouled another player, time wasted, or celebrated too much, Pacqueta did what he could to garner more yellow cards to affect the betting market.
If he knowingly received yellow cards by doing blatant fouls, this could have swayed the bets in favor of his family members, friends, or other acquaintances that would get him, or his “co-conspirators”, more money at the end of the season.
The West Ham midfielder has been brought up on four separate charges by the FA that included match fixing, improper purpose of affecting the betting market, and “influencing the progress, conduct, or any other aspect of these matches.”
Pacqueta was found to have purposefully received a yellow card in fixtures against Leicester City, Aston Villa, Leeds United, and Bournemouth during the 2022-2024 seasons.
Pacqueta was a big signing for West Ham, coming from the top league in France from the big-player, Lyon, for almost $43 million back in 2022. But since his arrival, he has been under the watchful eye of the FA that noticed some trickery going on behind the scenes – or on the pitch.
West Ham Midfielder Denies Any Wrongdoing
Despite the charges brought up against Pacqueta for the past few seasons, he denies that he has done anything wrong, claiming that he has played with integrity and cooperated with the FA during their investigation.
‘I deny all the charges in their entirety and will fight with every breath to clear my name. Due to the ongoing process, I will not be providing further comment.’
But, everyone else in the footballing world has taken to the internet to comment about whether he is or is not guilty. His current club, West Ham, also had to put out a statement regarding the incident.
‘The club will continue to stand by and support the player through the process. Lucas categorically denies the breach and will continue to robustly defend his position. The club will continue to stand by and support the player.’
Whether Lucas is telling the truth or not, this puts West Ham in a tough predicament in terms of keeping or selling him for next year. IF he is found guilty, he could be banned or suspended from being able to play in the league. This would leave West Ham without a key midfielder for the next Premier League season.
And he wouldn’t be the first – Kynan Isaac receive a ten-year ban two years ago for match fixing, whereas Ivan Toney received a shorter ban for his role in bet influencing.
About the Author
Emma is an athlete and sports fan who currently plays professional soccer. Growing up, she reached a high level in track and field, distance running, and soccer on both club and university teams.
