Lucas Paqueta Avoids Extended Ban Despite Red Card Incident
West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta has received a warning regarding his conduct but will not face an extended ban from the Football Association following his reaction to being sent off during a match against Liverpool.
The 28-year-old player received two yellow cards in quick succession for dissent from referee Darren England during West Ham's 2-0 home defeat on Sunday. The sanctions were imposed for repeatedly disputing a foul call against his team.
Before exiting the field, the Brazilian continued to argue with officials and sarcastically applauded England's decision.
The FA stated, "As guidance, we’ve issued West Ham United's Lucas Paqueta with a warning and a reminder of his responsibilities regarding the on-field incident that followed his red card at the Premier League fixture against Liverpool on Sunday, 30 November."
Paqueta will serve a suspension for his dismissal, which will keep him out of Thursday's match against Manchester United. However, the FA confirmed that it "will not be taking any further action".
After the defeat at Anfield, Paqueta remarked that his actions were a "reflection of everything I have had to endure," referencing an ongoing investigation into spot-fixing charges brought against him by the FA in 2024.
In July of this year, Paqueta was cleared of the charges by an independent regulatory commission.
He had been charged in May 2024 for allegedly receiving a booking deliberately "for the improper purpose of affecting the betting market." A guilty verdict could have led to a lifetime ban from football, but the regulatory commission ultimately determined that the four charges against him were "not proven."
Following the investigation, he was reprimanded and warned about his future conduct for failing to comply with the inquiry.
Paqueta was returning from a one-match suspension on Sunday after accumulating five yellow cards in the league, which had previously sidelined him during the 2-2 draw against Bournemouth.
West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo commented after the Liverpool defeat that Paqueta continues to be impacted by the investigation and the charges, despite his exoneration. "I think it [the investigation] is affecting him, but he is willing to move forward, to try and put this aside and continue to play football in the way that he does," Nuno stated.
When Paqueta was cleared of the charges, his lawyer expressed to the BBC that the player was "very emotional and very delighted" and felt as though he had "an enormous weight off his chest." Paqueta's wife has previously mentioned that they had "been living this nightmare for two years."