West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta is suffering and disappointed after his sending-off in Sunday’s 2-0 Premier League home defeat to Liverpool, manager Nuno Espirito Santo said.
Paqueta was bizarrely booked twice for dissent within 60 seconds with less than 10 minutes to play. Despite teammates’ attempts to calm him, the 28-year-old Brazilian international continued his tirade at referee Darren England and was dismissed.
After the match, Paqueta lashed out at the Football Association, accusing the governing body of failing to provide psychological support during a spot-fixing investigation. He also posted an apology to teammates and fans, but argued his actions did not warrant a dismissal.
Paqueta was cleared of four spot-fixing charges by the FA in July following a lengthy investigation. Paqueta, who was facing the risk of a lifetime ban, denied the alleged spot-fixing charges.
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“I spoke with Lucas and he apologised to his teammates,” Nuno told reporters ahead of West Ham’s visit to Manchester United on Thursday.
“He’s not okay and he’s suffering. He’s disappointed and sad but he realises the mistake he made, and wants to move forward. Sometimes people aren’t aware of all the problems footballers endure, but Lucas will overcome this situation.”
Paqueta joined West Ham from Olympique Lyonnais in 2022 and is under contract until 2027. Despite speculation about his future, Nuno insisted Paqueta is happy at the East London club.
“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 said.
“We’ve had a good conversation. The squad supports Lucas.”
Source: Reuters
