West Ham midfielder Lucas Paquetá has been issued a warning over his conduct but will not face any additional suspension from the Football Association following his dismissal against Liverpool.
Paquetá, 28, was sent off after receiving two quick yellow cards for dissent during West Ham’s 2-0 defeat at Anfield on Sunday. Referee Darren England booked him for repeatedly arguing over a foul awarded against his team. As he left the pitch, the Brazilian continued to protest and sarcastically applauded the officials.
In a statement, the FA said: “As guidance, we’ve issued West Ham United’s Lucas Paquetá with a warning and reminder of his responsibilities for the on-field incident that followed his red card… We won’t be taking any further action.”
Paquetá will still serve the automatic one-match suspension for the red card, ruling him out of Thursday’s game at Manchester United.
After the match, Paquetá suggested his reaction reflected “everything I have had to endure” — referring to the FA’s spot-fixing investigation brought against him in 2024. He was cleared in July when an independent regulatory commission ruled all four charges “not proven”, though he was warned for failing to comply fully with the investigation.
Paquetá had returned against Liverpool after a previous suspension for accumulating five yellow cards. West Ham manager Nuno Espírito Santo said the fallout from the investigation continues to weigh on the player, despite his clearance.
When he was exonerated, Paquetá’s lawyer said the midfielder was “very emotional and very delighted,” while his wife has described the ordeal as a “two-year nightmare.”
