Lucas Paqueta apologises for awkward red card against Liverpool

West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta apologised to his team-mates for his sending off in Sunday’s 2-0 defeat by Liverpool, his manager Nuno Espirito Santo has confirmed.

In what was an unpredictable and awkward moment, Paqueta received two yellow cards in quick succession from referee Darren England for dissent, after arguing over a decision to award a foul against his team with six minutes left.

After the match, Paqueta took to X to respond to criticism of his “ridiculous behaviour”, stating his actions were a “reflection of everything I have had to endure” during a near two-year Football Association investigation into spot-fixing charges.

He was cleared by an independent regulatory commission in June but Nuno says the 28-year-old is “not OK”, adding the club will provide support as he tries to “move forward”.

Lucas Paqueta receives a second yellow card and a red during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Liverpool. (Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images)

“I spoke with Lucas, and he spoke not only with me but with all his team-mates,” Nuno said.

“He apologised. He’s aware of his mistakes. Sometimes the emotions, you can’t control them, but at the same time, everybody has a chance [to make up for it].”

The former Nottingham Forest boss added: “He is not OK. He is suffering, he is disappointed and upset. But he realises the mistake that he made and he is willing to move forward. Sometimes people are not aware of the problems that football players endure. But I think [he] is going to overcome this situation.

“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.”

The FA started investigating Paqueta in August 2023 and the midfielder was charged in May last year for allegedly receiving deliberate yellow cards “for the improper purpose of affecting the betting market”.

The investigation concluded in July, when the regulatory commission found the four charges against him to be “not proven”. However, he was reprimanded and warned about his future conduct after failing to comply with the investigation.

Had he been found guilty, he would have faced a potential lifetime ban from football.

The match against Liverpool was his first match back after sitting out West Ham’s 2-2 draw with Bournemouth after accumulating five yellow cards in the league.

He will now sit out of West Ham’s trip to Manchester United on Thursday, but will be available against Brighton on Sunday.