Lucas Paqueta has been accused of deliberately getting himself booked on four occasions, and an FA hearing into the allegations could see him receive a lifetime ban
West Ham star Lucas Paqueta is reportedly struggling to deal with the ongoing FA hearing into allegations of spot-fixing. Paqueta could face a lifetime ban if found guilty, having been accused of deliberately getting himself booked on four occasions.
Paqueta denies the allegations and the hearing is now into its third week, having begun on March 17. West Ham’s clash with Wolves this evening will be their first game since the hearing started and the Daily Mail are reporting that the club will let Paqueta decide if he is ready to feature.
The report states that the Brazil international has found the situation ‘extremely taxing’ and quotes a source as saying that Paqueta has had “good days and bad days” since the initial investigation began in 2023.
It is said there are also concerns his career will be left in limbo while they wait for a verdict to be reached.
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Speaking ahead of the game, Hammers boss Graham Potter said: “He has trained well and is acting absolutely normally.
“He has just got to deal with what he’s got to deal with but, from our perspective, he is available and we are looking forward to him playing. I have no expectations on [when the hearing will finish].
“I have enough to worry about with my own job here to second-guess those types of things.”
Paqueta has been a key player for Potter since he replaced previous boss Julen Lopetegui in January, having featured in a variety of roles including operating as a makeshift striker. And the 27-year-old has credited Potter with helping him rediscover his form.
“I think that was the start of me getting back to my old self on the pitch,” Paqueta told club media in February. “So, I think that confidence, between him making things very clear to me, what I can do, what I should do, has given me a lot of confidence to do my best.
“We’ve really enjoyed working under the new coaching staff. All the ideas he’s put forward are very clear, very organised, I think it’s simple for us to understand.
“Of course, we have a lot of work to do, it’s only been a few weeks of training. We’ve had a very good response and I hope that we understand each other more and more and can put into practice what he’s been asking of us.”
West Ham currently sit 16th in the Premier League, but are 17 points above the relegation zone after an upturn in form under Potter.
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