The English Football Association (FA) announced that it will not appeal the decision that acquitted midfielder Lucas Paquetá of the most serious match-fixing charges. However, the organization confirmed that it will punish the West Ham player for other infractions. The independent commission cleared the Brazilian of breaching Rule E5.1 on July 31, eliminating the risk of a potential ban from the sport.
However, the commission found the player guilty of failing to comply with Rule F3, which requires cooperation with the investigation. Precisely for this reason, the federation reiterated that it will impose a sanction soon.
The entity announced: “The Regulatory Commission will decide on the appropriate sanction for the breach of Rule F3, which has been found to be proven. Details of the sanction will be released at the earliest opportunity.
The FA is committed to ensuring the integrity of football is maintained, and full and thorough investigations will always be carried out into serious allegations of breaches of the rules.”
According to the English press, the punishment should be financial in nature, through the application of a fine.
Furthermore, it is important to remember that authorities accused Paquetá of deliberately trying to receive a card in four Premier League games, but the commission found these allegations unfounded.
Called up to the national team, he has scored three goals in four matches for the club this season for West Ham, in England.
Lucas Paquetá and West Ham may sue the federation
Following the conclusion of the investigation, Lucas Paquetá and West Ham are considering suing the FA. They believe the charges, of which a commission acquitted the Brazilian, thwarted a R$587 million deal with Manchester City.
Therefore, the Independent Regulatory Commission harshly criticized the federation for not presenting direct evidence linking the player to the bettors.
Paquetá’s legal team, for example, successfully argued that the betting data was inconsistent, citing the high volume of different bettors and the relatively low stakes.
Additionally, the commission questioned the independence of the FA expert, as he has a commercial relationship with the institution, and pointed out apparent contradictions in the testimony of the main witness.
Understand the original accusation against the player
In May 2024, the English Football Association (FA) charged Lucas Paquetá with misconduct related to sports betting. In summary, the central charge alleged that he had forced yellow cards in four matches to allegedly benefit bettors in his hometown of Ilha de Paquetá, Rio de Janeiro.
Finally, find out which matches were investigated:
- West Ham 0-2 Leicester (November 12, 2022).
- West Ham 1 x 1 Aston Villa(March 12, 2023).
- West Ham 3-1 Leeds (21 May 2023).
- Bournemouth 1 x 1 West Ham (12 August 2023).
As previously mentioned, Paquetá was recently cleared of all charges.
