West Ham star Lucas Paqueta sends message after Chelsea shock defeat to Flamengo
West Ham star Lucas Paqueta took to social media to share his reaction as Chelsea faced an unlikely defeat at the Club World Cup.
Enzo Maresca‘s side kicked off their tournament with a 2-0 win over LAFC on Monday, 16 June, with goals coming from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez, but they failed to take top spot in Group D.
Despite a positive start to proceedings, the Blues faced a shock defeat to the group leaders, Flamengo, on Friday, 20 June, though Neto was able to net his second goal of the tournament.
Having gone 2-1 down, with goals from Bruno Henrique and Danilo, Nicolas Jackson sent Chelsea down to 10 men for a studs-up challenge just four minutes after replacing Liam Delap.
Wallace Yan added a third to compound the Premier League side’s misery, and Brazilian star Paqueta was clearly enjoying himself as he watched the match unfold before him.
West Ham star watches Chelsea’s shock Club World Cup defeat
Taking to Instagram stories (20 June), Paqueta shared an image of Flamengo’s second goal alongside the caption: “Isso e Flamengo,” translating to “This is Flamengo”.
The 27-year-old began his career with Flamengo, where he made 95 first-team appearances, scoring 18 goals and assisting another six, only just bettering that tally at the London Stadium.
Lucas Paqueta’s uncertain future drags on at West Ham
Football Insider verdict
Paqueta potentially faces a lifetime ban at West Ham as the FA’s investigation into the betting allegations aimed at the player continues to drag on, leaving the club completely in the dark.
The playmaker has gone from being linked with Pep Guardiola‘s Man City to now possibly never playing football again, and that would be a crushing blow as Graham Potter attempts to turn his fortunes around.
Supporters have not been convinced by the former Brighton and Chelsea coach at all, winning just five of his 19 games in charge since replacing Julen Lopetegui in January.
Keith Wyness told Football Insider that West Ham are already not happy with Potter, with the Hammers finishing 14th in the Premier League and just four spots above the relegation zone.
Jarrod Bowen and Tomas Soucek have also been linked with exits, both of whom have become key figures for the Irons over the last few seasons, so the new manager has quite the challenge on his hands.
While it remains to be seen if David Sullivan will back him in the summer transfer window, it is vital that Potter is allowed to make changes to the current squad ahead of the 2025/26 season.