Paquetá shares emotional story on leaving England for Flamengo | OneFootball

What happened to Lucas Paquetá in England?

The third signing for Flamengo in 2026, Lucas Paquetá was officially presented this Monday (02). During the conversation, the midfielder was questioned about his decision to leave West Ham (ENG). Thus, the player mentioned the accusations of match-fixing and thanked the support of the Rubro-Negra Nation.

— I think everyone followed everything I went through, partially. Each with their own conclusions, but, as I said in an interview, throughout the trial process, of everything that happened, I had the opportunity to return to Flamengo and I wanted to stay and resolve it -, Paquetá began.

— This was done, I am very happy to have proven my innocence, to have shown a bit to the people who were accusing me who I am, how I am, how I live, and that was enough and thank God I was able to return to playing football without that burden. And I thought I could continue from there -, added the Rubro-Negro signing.

— But I realized that some things still bothered me. And then I always had the support of Flamengo, from the nation that always welcomed me. And I said, man, this is what I want for myself now. What I want now is, I want people who welcome me, I want this affection, I want to go back home -, concluded the number 20.

What happened to Lucas Paquetá in England?

In May 2024, the English Football Association (FA) accused Paquetá of attempting to manipulate bets by forcing yellow cards in four Premier League matches. The games investigated were against Leicester City (ENG), Aston Villa (ENG), Leeds United (ENG), and Bournemouth (ENG).

The FA even requested the player's ban, but the Regulatory Commission concluded there was not enough evidence. Thus, with a decision announced on July 31, 2025, Paquetá was acquitted of the charges. However, the midfielder was mentally shaken by the process and, therefore, asked to return to Flamengo.

What is Flamengo's next match?

With Lucas Paquetá available, Flamengo returns to the field this Wednesday (04) to face Internacional. The match takes place at 7 PM (Brasília time), at Maracanã, for the second round of the Brasileirão.

Thus, as tradition dictates, Coluna do Fla will bring all the details about the match between Flamengo and Internacional, through YouTube, the website, and social media. However, Premiere (pay-per-view) will broadcast the match between the Cariocas and the Gaúchos.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.