Lucas Paqueta dejectedly gazed at the turf with tears streaming down his face. Frustrated, he lifted his jersey to wipe away his tears after being consoled by captain Jarrod Bowen. Paqueta’s emotions took their toll, but this was the day his team-mates showed their unwavering support for the playmaker.
During West Ham United’s 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur, Paqueta broke down after being cautioned by referee Michael Oliver for fouling Mikey Moore in the 73rd minute. The Brazil international protested his innocence, but Oliver was unmoved by Paqueta’s pleas. It is the eighth time this season Paqueta has been booked in the Premier League. Bowen comforted his team-mate, who was substituted seven minutes later by head coach Graham Potter. Paqueta acknowledged the bench and then walked down the tunnel.
Post-match, his wife, Duda Fournier, expressed her frustration.
“I have never said anything on here, and maybe I shouldn’t,” she wrote on Instagram. “My husband has an attitude and a strength that I admire and am impressed by. We’ve been living through this nightmare for two years, and he is always strong. He always had it in his head that he would only defend himself at the right moment.
Paqueta reacting after his yellow card on Sunday (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
“There is nothing against him. Have you never realised that? Anyway, God knows all, and only he knows why we are going through this. It’s down to him alone that we are well and living in happiness as a family. I just want people to respect (us). People are cruel and unjust without knowing anything.”
This is not just the story of one yellow card, after all. It will be a year later this month since Paqueta was charged by the English Football Association (FA) with deliberately getting booked in four Premier League matches so he and/or his friends could benefit by betting on that happening. Paqueta denies any wrongdoing but faces a lifetime ban if found guilty. The hearing into the allegations began in March and was previously expected to finish last month. But that hearing has been put on hold and will not be concluded until at least June.
It has been an unsettling period in Paqueta’s career. His proposed £85million switch to Manchester City fell through amid the alleged breaches. Last summer, West Ham rejected a “laughable” offer from boyhood club Flamengo for Paqueta. The hierarchy were reluctant to sanction his departure even with this case hanging over him.
Tim Steidten, the former technical director, travelled to Brazil in June last summer, before the Copa America, to reassure Paqueta of his importance. Since joining from Lyon in the summer of 2022 for a club-record fee of around £51million, Paqueta’s family have settled in London. Against Tottenham, he walked out on the pitch with his two sons Benicio and Filippo.
Other members of Paqueta’s family watched on from the stands as he struggled to conceal his emotions. But it was Bowen who rushed to check on his team-mate’s wellbeing.
“He wears his heart on his sleeve, and you could see that with his performance,” Bowen tells The Athletic. “He was flying into tackles, and that’s Lucas at his best. I don’t know fully what was making him emotional, but the main thing for me at that time was putting my arm around him. I didn’t want him getting sent off or doing anything silly. I wanted to look after him, and I’ve seen him again in the dressing room, and I gave him another hug. He’s in good spirits.
“When we’re on the pitch, sometimes our emotions get the better of us. You want to win and leave everything out there. He was on top form (in the dressing room). Things can happen in football, and sometimes our emotions run high in games, but Lucas is fine, which is the main thing.
Bowen speaking to Paqueta (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
“Since I’ve been here, we’ve always prided ourselves as a group on being close and having a good bond. Lucas has been here longer than a few of the other players, and he understands the dressing room and the love he has from the fans. Of course, we’ll always be here if anyone needs that support, but Lucas has been working hard every day in training, and that’s all you can ask from a player. That’s all I’d want from one of my team-mates too.”
Paqueta had a solid outing against Tottenham and remains a key player under Potter. Since his appointment in January, Paqueta has had a resurgence in his performances, most recently his man-of-the-match display against Liverpool. This season, the midfielder has registered five goals across 34 appearances.
“He’s just a player that’s trying his absolute best and wants the situation to be better and probably got a bit frustrated with the action,” said Potter. “Then you see a human being, not perfect but I love Lucas, he’s given everything and in the difficult circumstances he’s in as well. He’s given everything and he’s absolutely fine now.”
The coming months will continue to test Paqueta. But he can take solace from knowing his team-mates were there for him at one of his lowest moments.
(Top photo: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)