West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta is considering taking authorized motion in opposition to the Soccer Affiliation (FA) after being cleared of spot fixing expenses. His authorized workforce is claimed to be all potential choices after an impartial fee gave a harsh evaluation of the FA’s case.
The 28-year-old Brazilian had been accused of 4 counts of intentionally choosing up yellow playing cards to affect betting markets. The FA alleged that Paqueta “deliberately sought to obtain a card from the referee for the improper goal of affecting the betting market to ensure that a number of individuals to revenue from betting” in matches in opposition to Leicester Metropolis, Aston Villa, Leeds United and Bournemouth between November 2022 and August 2023. Manchester Metropolis had proven curiosity in signing Paqueta for £80 million earlier than the fees got here up.
He denied any wrongdoing and was totally cleared in July 2025. Written causes launched on Wednesday (September 3), reveal how the FA put its case collectively and clarify why the fee determined to reject it.
‘Lack of an impartial professional evaluation’
On the coronary heart of the FA’s case was betting exercise flagged by the Worldwide Betting Integrity Affiliation. Nonetheless, the fee criticized the FA for leaning too closely by itself investigator as an alternative of bringing in an impartial betting professional.
“From the Fee’s perspective the proof introduced by The FA on the betting knowledge had an apparent flaw, particularly the shortage of an impartial professional evaluation of that knowledge. That The FA selected to advance an important component of its case with none such impartial professional evaluation of it was, within the Fee’s view, stunning.” – The FA vs Lucas Paqueta
“On what The FA have accepted was an important component of its case, it merely didn’t name impartial professional proof,” the report acknowledged.
“Accordingly, while not Mr Astley’s fault, as he was doing what he had been directed to do, in circumstances the place it was clearly and brazenly accepted by The FA that Mr Astley was not an impartial professional, from the Fee’s perspective the proof introduced by The FA on the betting knowledge had an apparent flaw, particularly the shortage of an impartial professional evaluation of that knowledge.”
The panel added that there have been different explanations for the betting exercise that had been simply as plausible: “The betting patterns might have emerged from a relatively random passing of perceived ‘sizzling suggestions’ or perceived ‘inside info’ inside Brazil as a lot as they might have emerged from a spot-fix.”
The fee additionally slammed the FA’s use of efficiency proof, which it stated suffered from “affirmation bias.” It famous that incidents on the pitch had been “interpreted in a fashion that assumed a responsible clarification when in actuality they had been a minimum of equally in step with regular soccer actions.”
The FA’s case additionally weakened when telephone knowledge evaluation, as soon as a key a part of their argument, was dismissed after their very own consultants agreed with the opposing view put ahead by Paqueta’s impartial analyst. “The FA settle for that this proof… now not has the evidential worth or weight that The FA initially thought of it to have,” the fee recorded.
Ultimately, the panel concluded that the FA had not met the usual of proof wanted to assist the fees: “The burden stays on The FA all through to show the case on the steadiness of possibilities… We unanimously conclude that The FA can not discharge the burden upon it.”
Paqueta could also be considering of taking authorized motion in opposition to the FA
FA v Lucas Paquetá – written causes revealed: https://t.co/sVhXQOyvJh
The impartial Regulatory Fee’s written causes within the Paquetá case have now been revealed.
Working to over 300 pages, the choice is known to be the longest sports-related judgment ever… pic.twitter.com/NSIGmpOagD
— Nick De Marco KC (@nickdemarco_) September 3, 2025
For Paqueta, the choice is a big reduction after spending greater than a 12 months below suspicion. His legal professionals are actually deciding on their subsequent transfer, with sources telling BBC Sport that they’re all choices, together with potential authorized motion in opposition to the FA for the injury attributable to the accusations.
Representing the participant, Nick De Marco KC, wrote on X: “Working to over 300 pages, the choice is known to be the longest sports-related judgment ever issued on the planet – a mirrored image of how critical the case was, the quantity of proof deployed in what was the most important case in The FA’s historical past, and one of the crucial momentous in my very own profession as a sports activities lawyer.”
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