West Ham’s Lucas Paquetá Expected To Be Cleared Of Spot-fixing Over Bookings

Lucas Paquetá is expected to beryllium recovered not blameworthy successful narration to spot-fixing charges. The West Ham subordinate was charged by nan Football Association pinch 4 counts of being deliberately booked to power betting markets and 2 of failing to cooperate pinch its investigation.

The charges were announced successful May 2024 aft a 10-month investigation. The Brazilian could person faced up to a life prohibition if he were recovered blameworthy successful 1 of nan astir high-profile cases nan FA person brought.

The FA had been looking into allegations that Paquetá deliberately picked up yellowish cards against Leicester, Aston Villa, Leeds and Bournemouth successful 2022 and 2023 and alleged that he “directly sought to power […] these matches by intentionally seeking to person a paper from nan referee, for nan improper intent of affecting nan betting marketplace successful bid for 1 aliases much persons to profit from betting”.

About 60 bets were placed connected Paquetá to beryllium shown a yellowish paper successful those games. A root pinch knowledge of nan FA’s investigation said that 1 of nan bets was for £7, pinch nan highest £400.

Paquetá denied immoderate wrongdoing. “I americium highly amazed and upset that nan FA has decided to complaint me,” he said connected Instagram successful May past year. “For 9 months, I person cooperated pinch each measurement of their investigation and provided each nan accusation I can. I contradict nan charges successful their entirety and will conflict pinch each activity to clear my name.”

West Ham said astatine nan time: “Lucas categorically denies nan breach and will proceed to robustly take sides his position. The nine will proceed to guidelines by and support nan subordinate passim nan process.”

The FA investigation came to ray erstwhile Paquetá was adjacent to joining Manchester City for astir £80m and scuppered his hopes of a move to nan past treble-winners. Now 27, he costs West Ham a club-record £51m erstwhile he joined from Lyon successful August 2022.

Paquetá’s proceedings concluded successful early June and nan subordinate was told he must hold 4 to 8 weeks for a verdict. West Ham were unhappy pinch that fixed nan disruption it would origin to their summertime transportation window, leaving their caput coach, Graham Potter, uncertain complete whether a cardinal subordinate would beryllium portion of his squad adjacent season.

A period previously, Potter said nan investigation had taken a intelligence and beingness toll connected Paquetá. “In fairness to Lucas I deliberation he’s handled it brilliantly,” Potter said.

Paquetá’s wife, Maria Fournier, wrote connected Instagram astatine astir nan aforesaid time: “My hubby has a posture and a spot that I respect and impresses me. We person been surviving this nightmare for 2 years.”