Lucas Paqueta Cleared: Regulatory Victory for West Ham Star

Lucas Paqueta, West Ham United's midfielder, was cleared of allegations of betting rule breaches after a Regulatory Commission hearing. The charges involved deliberately getting booked to influence Premier League games. Paqueta denied the charges, and they were not proven. He faces additional charges for non-compliance in the investigation.

Lucas Paqueta, the Brazilian midfielder for West Ham United, has been exonerated of four alleged breaches of betting regulations, as announced by the Football Association on Thursday. The accusations surfaced last year, indicating that Paqueta sought bookings in Premier League games during 2022 and 2023 to influence betting markets.

The Football Association claimed that Paqueta intended to alter match progression and outcomes for others' betting benefits. However, Paqueta denied these charges, and a Regulatory Commission concluded the allegations were unproven after a detailed hearing.

Paqueta is still confronted with two charges related to purportedly failing to comply with duties to answer questions and provide required information during the FA's investigation.

(With inputs from agencies.)