Justice for Lucas Paqueta! West Ham star cleared of FA spot-fixing charges after two-year legal battle & failed £85m transfer to Man City

According to The Times, an independent regulatory commission has reached a conclusion, with an official verdict expected to be published within the coming week. If confirmed, the ruling will lift a dark cloud that has loomed over Paqueta for more than a year and potentially reshape his future in football.

Paqueta was charged by the FA in May of last year, with the governing body alleging that he had deliberately incurred cautions in four separate Premier League fixtures. These included matches against Leicester City, Aston Villa, Leeds United, and Bournemouth, spanning the 2022–23 and 2023–24 campaigns.

At the heart of the charges was the suspicion that these yellow cards were part of a coordinated betting scheme, where unknown individuals would stand to gain financially through wagers placed on Paqueta being booked. Notably, the FA did not accuse the player of placing bets himself or receiving any direct financial benefit. However, the mere association with such allegations put his career in jeopardy.

Manchester City, who had been primed to activate the £85 million release clause in his West Ham contract, promptly shelved their transfer pursuit. With the possibility of a long-term global ban looming, few clubs were willing to engage with such uncertainty. Now, with a favourable outcome on the horizon, the Hammers may once again face a decision on whether to cash in on the midfielder or retain him for the upcoming campaign.

The FA may find itself liable for covering the player’s substantial legal expenses, which are estimated to reach up to £1m. While the FA reportedly did not aim to impose a lifetime ban, a guilty verdict could have seen the player barred from all football activities for several years.

Despite the weight of the allegations, Paqueta maintained his innocence from the outset, insisting that his yellow cards were a natural part of competitive play. The impending verdict will not only clear the Brazilian of any wrongdoing but could also reignite interest from Europe’s top clubs.