1 week ago
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Lucas Paqueta has broken his silence following the bizarre red card that he was shown by Darren England at the London Stadium as Liverpool won 2-0 against West Ham.
Goals from Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo sealed the win for Liverpool on the day. But Paqueta was left frustrated when play was stopped for an injury, and then he continued his protestations for too long.
"It's ridiculous to have your life and career affected for two years without any psychological support from the federation," he posted on X/Twitter. "Perhaps this ridiculous behavior is just a reflection of everything I've had to endure and, it seems, have to continue enduring! I'm sorry if I'm not perfect."
Liverpool was already in the lead at that point in the game. But any faint hopes of a West Ham comeback were extinguished when Paqueta, who was fairly bright for Nuno Espirito Santo's side, was given his marching orders.
Paqueta was cleared of spot-fixing charges by an independent regulatory commission in July of this year, almost two years after the Football Association (FA) launched an investigation into him.
The investigation began in August 2023, and the Brazilian midfielder was charged in May last year for allegedly getting booked deliberately "for the improper purpose of affecting the betting market".
Paqueta, now 28, was facing the prospect of a lifetime ban if found guilty. However, the regulatory commission found the four charges levels against him to be "not proven" following a hearing.
The charges related to a Premier League game against Leicester City on 12 November 2022, as well as 2023 fixtures against Aston Villa on 12 March, Leeds United on 21 May and Bournemouth on 12 August.
"Since the first day of this investigation, I have maintained my innocence against these extremely serious accusations," Paqueta said when the hearing cleared him.
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"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 United, 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."
Paqueta joined West Ham from Lyon in August 2022 for a fee of around $48 million (£36 million). In his debut campaign, he helped win the Europa Conference League under David Moyes.
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