The West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta’s long-running spot-fixing case will be decided by the Football Association in a formal ceremony on September 1.
The FA charged Paqueta in May 2024 with allegedly getting booked deliberately “for the improper purpose of affecting the betting market” and she has been under investigation since August 2023.
According to BBC Sport, the player and club have been informed of the ruling the governing body made in relation to those allegations regarding matches played between 2022 and 2024 Premier League matches.
The hearing on the charges for Paqueta ended this April, with the end of April approaching.
The final decision is largely in Paqueta’s favor, according to a source with knowledge of the situation, and that the Brazil international is “in the clear” in practice.
Paqueta has been a target of the FA’s campaign for a lifetime ban, but there are some signs that this could have been avoided.
However, whether Paqueta will face any kind of punishment will remain to be seen.
The four allegations against him relate to Premier League games against Leicester City on November 12, 2022, and 2023 games against Aston Villa on March 12, Leeds United on May 21, and Bournemouth on August 12.
He was also accused of two counts of not cooperating with the FA’s investigation after breaking “FA Rule F3 in respect of alleged failures to comply” with FA Rule F2, which covers providing documents and information.
In 33 West Ham Premier League games he made between 24 and 25 this season, the 27-year-old scored four goals.
His wife Maria Fournier claimed in an Instagram post that they had “been living this nightmare for two years” after being booked against Tottenham in May.
Paqueta had previously claimed that the charges had shocked and upset him greatly after he was charged by the FA last year.
“For the past nine months, I have cooperated with their investigation every step of the way and provided you with all the information you can.” He declared, “I will fight with every breath to clear my name and reject all the charges in their entirety.”
In his first season with the Hammers, Paqueta helped the team win the Europa Conference League for an initial sum of £36.5 million from Lyon.
The questioned games
West Ham 0-2 Leicester – 12 November 2022
In the 60th minute, Paqueta was booked for a “lunge” on Boubakary Soumare from Leicester.
He loses the game to Leicester, who is booked at 1-0.
West Ham 1-1 Aston Villa – 12 March 2023
In the 70th minute, Paqueta was booked for a “lunging challenge” on John McGinn, with 1-1 going.
West Ham 3-1 Leeds United – 21 May 2023
Crysencio Summerville’s return to the fold in the 65th minute was blocked by Paqueta.
West Ham goes on to win 3-1 with the score at 1-1.
West Ham 1-1 Bournemouth – 12 August 2023
related subjects
- West Ham United
- Premier League
- Football
Source: BBC
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