Lucas Paqueta 'slapped with punishment by FA' after probe into betting charges

LUCAS PAQUETA is set to be slapped with a £150,000 fine after his betting probe, according to reports.

The West Ham playmaker, 28, was cleared of spot-fixing charges following an independent investigation .

2 Lucas Paqueta is expected to be charged £150,000 by the FA for his lack of cooperation during his investigation Credit: Getty

Paqueta avoided a lifetime ban after being accused of deliberately getting booked in matches.

Investigators alleged he had done so against Leicester in November 2022, Aston Villa in March 2023, Leeds in May 2023 and Bournemouth in August 2024 to help others win bets on him being shown a yellow card.

After two years of question marks over the future of his career , the Brazilian breathed a huge sigh of relief when the FA confirmed he had been cleared and escaped the possibility of never being allowed to play football again when the claims were not proven.

However, he was found guilty of two breaches of FA Rule F3 by failing to answer questions and to provide information to the investigation.

A fine for those offences was expected.

And now The Times report Paqueta must stump up around £150,000 for his lack of cooperation.

That works out as approximately a week's wages for the Hammers star.

The report adds that a decision is yet to be made over whether the FA will pay Paqueta's legal fees, which could surpass £1million.

Paqueta - who missed out on an £85m transfer to Manchester City in 2023 due to the investigation - broke his silence once he was cleared of spot-fixing.

He said: "Since the first day of this investigation, I have maintained my innocence against these extremely serious accusations.

"I can’t say anything more at this time, but I would like to express how grateful I am to God and how eager I am to return to playing football with a smile on my face.

“To my wife who never let go of my hand, to West Ham, to the fans who always cheered me on, and to my family, friends and the legal team who have supported me — thank you for everything.”

The midfielder always denied any wrongdoing and is said to have suffered mental health problems during the long saga.

In a separate post on Instagram, the West Ham star quoted Book of Deuteronomy in the Old Testament of the Bible, saying: "The enemies will come against us in one way, but in seven ways they will flee."

Paqueta has started the new season in fine form with three goals in four games.

That included the second away at Nottingham Forest on Sunday from the penalty spot to clinch all three points.

He reacted by pretending to ditch a mobile phone before kissing the West Ham badge in front of the jubilant away fans.

The ex-AC Milan and Lyon star was linked with a £47m transfer to Aston Villa ahead of Monday's deadline but appeared to shut those rumours down with his pointed celebration.

2 Paqueta kissed the West Ham badge after scoring his penalty on Sunday Credit: Getty