West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta is set to face a three-week hearing this month in relation to the Brazilian’s betting charge.
Reported by Sky Sports News, the three-week hearing that relates to alleged spot-fixing offences would be one of the longest court proceedings in the FA’s history – with England’s governing body for football seeking a lifetime ban for Paqueta.
Rumours of Paqueta’s alleged spot-fixing began in 2023, after the midfielder was accused of intentionally receiving cards from referees in several Premier League fixtures to impact the betting market and allowing individuals to profit from related bets.
The FA charged the Brazilian player with four breaches of FA Rule E5.1 in relation to his conduct in the club’s Premier League fixtures against Leicester City on 12 November 2022; Aston Villa on 12 March 2023; Leeds United on 21 May 2023; and AFC Bournemouth on 12 August 2023.
At the time of the charges, the FA stated that Paqueta aimed to “influence the progress, conduct, or any other aspect of, or occurrence in these matches by intentionally seeking to receive a card from the referee for the improper purpose of affecting the betting market in order for one or more persons to profit from betting.”
To make matters worse for the 27-year old West Ham midfielder, he was subsequently charged with two further breaches of FA rules in relation to failing to comply by providing information and documents.
In 2023, Paquetá’s phone was confiscated for two months as part of the investigation into his messages, calls and banking history. Although the FA eventually returned the original phone, they later requested it back to verify additional details. However, the Brazilian midfielder had since disposed of it and was unable to locate it.
Following the initial allegations, Paqueta stated in his defence: “I am extremely surprised and upset that the FA has decided to charge me. For nine months, I have cooperated with every step of their investigation and provided all the information I can.
“I deny the charges in their entirety and will fight with every breath to clear my name. Due to the ongoing process, I will not be providing any further comment.”
