London, July 31 -- West Ham United's Brazilian international midfielder Lucas Paqueta has been cleared of betting charges by an independent commission.
The 27-year-old had faced a potential lifetime ban from football following an investigation into his conduct opened by the Football Association (FA) in August 2023, leading to formal charges in May 2024.
The charges against him were related to Premier League matches between West Ham and 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.
Paqueta was accused of intentionally provoking yellow cards "for the improper purpose of affecting the betting market."
While he was not alleged to have pe...