West Ham's Paqueta cleared of betting charges

West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta has been cleared of spot-fixing charges by an independent regulatory commission, the club announced on Thursday.

The Brazil international was charged with four alleged breaches of Football Association (FA) rules in relation to matches involving the Premier League side.

It was alleged the 27-year-old directly sought to influence games by intentionally seeking to receive a card from the referee for the "improper purpose of affecting the betting market".

The four charges against Paqueta related to a game against Leicester in November 2022 and matches against Aston Villa, Leeds and Bournemouth in 2023.

He was facing the prospect of a lifetime ban if found guilty.

The Brazilian denied the charges and the independent regulatory commission found them not proven following a hearing.

The FA said two charges against Paqueta, related to a failure to cooperate with its investigation, had been found proven.

It said a commission would decide on an appropriate sanction for those proven breaches "at the earliest opportunity".

The Brazilian, who joined West Ham in 2022, said in a club statement that he had always maintained his "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," he said.

"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."

West Ham United vice-chair Karren Brady said: "We are pleased Lucas has been cleared. He has maintained his innocence from the outset, and as a club we have resolutely stood by him and supported him throughout the process."

Alastair Campbell, a partner at the law firm Level and the head of Paqueta's legal team, said: "Few cases carry the gravity of this one -- professionally, personally and emotionally for our client.

"Lucas has faced down immense pressure with remarkable strength and resilience."

The FA said it was awaiting the written reasons from the independent commission in relation to its decision on the charges, and would not be commenting further until that time.

Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali was given a suspended two-month ban in May last year over breaches of betting rules.

It came as the Italian international was serving a 10-month ban handed down by the Italian authorities for betting offences.