West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paquetá is expected to receive a fine after being found guilty of two misconduct charges related to a Football Association (FA) investigation. Despite being cleared of spot-fixing allegations in July, an independent commission upheld two lesser charges against him for failing to answer questions and provide information to the FA's investigation. The written reasons for both verdicts are expected to be published this week.
The FA launched an investigation into Paquetá following reports of suspicious betting patterns surrounding yellow cards he received in Premier League matches. The investigation began in August of last year. He was accused of deliberately seeking to get booked in matches against Leicester City on November 12, 2022, Aston Villa on March 12, 2023, Leeds United on May 21, 2023, and AFC Bournemouth on August 12, 2023. It was alleged that Paquetá intended to influence the betting market for one or more persons to profit. The FA also charged Paqueta with two breaches of FA Rule F3, related to a failure to provide documents, information, or any other material requested by the FA. Paqueta denied all charges and cooperated with the investigation for nine months.
Paquetá's legal team has submitted written arguments to the commission and may contest the level of any fine imposed. The FA believes a fine to be appropriate. According to The Times, the fine is set to be around £150,000. A separate sanctions hearing will determine his punishment. Paquetá avoided a potential lifetime ban after being accused of deliberately getting yellow-carded in matches.
The spot-fixing allegations had previously derailed a potential £85 million move to Manchester City in August 2023. While Aston Villa made an attempt to sign Paquetá on loan last week, and Tottenham also made an inquiry before signing Xavi Simons, neither transfer materialized, and the player seems content to remain at West Ham.
Throughout the investigation, Paquetá continued to play for West Ham. After being cleared of spot-fixing, Paquetá expressed his gratitude to the club. In West Ham's recent 3-0 win at Nottingham Forest, Paquetá kissed the West Ham badge and mimed throwing away a mobile phone after scoring.
The independent commission's full decision is expected to include a recommendation on which party will cover the costs of the case. West Ham were reportedly unhappy that Paquetá was charged based on what they considered flimsy evidence but have decided against taking legal action against the FA. The legal fees owed to the representatives hired by West Ham could exceed £1 million.
