Paquetá looks likely to be cleared of all spot-fixing allegations as he was accused of deliberately getting yellow cards.
West Ham’s Lucas Paquetá expected to be cleared of spot-fixing over bookings.
In the days ahead, Lucas Paquetá is anticipated to receive the news that he has been exonerated of spot-fixing, casting a cloud that has threatened to destroy his career for the past two years. In May of last year, the 27-year-old West Ham midfielder was charged with four counts of purposefully booking himself to influence betting markets for the benefit of friends and family, which resulted in a lengthy ban.
Along with the four yellow cards he received for West Ham in Premier League games between November 2022 and August 2023, the Football Association also filed two charges against the Brazilian for not cooperating with the inquiry, which began in August 2023. If convicted, he might have been banned for life.
When the investigation began, Paquetá was close to signing a contract for £85 million to join Manchester City. However, after West Ham informed City of the issue, the deal fell through, and his wife, Maria Fournier, claims that he has “been living this nightmare for two years.”
That horror seems to be coming to an end. After hearing the matter on March 17, a regulatory commission retired to deliberate its decision in early June. It is believed that the commission found in favour of Paquetá, who joined West Ham from Lyon in August 2022 at a club-record £51 million. West Ham has consistently upheld his innocence, claiming that the FA’s evidence was circumstantial and that he had no knowledge of the wagers made against him.
“I am extremely surprised and upset that the FA has decided to charge me,” Paquetá said upon hearing of the charges in May last year. “For nine months, I have cooperated with every step of their investigation and provided all the information I can. I deny the charges in their entirety and will fight with every breath to clear my name.”