Lucas Paqueta's lawyer claims gambling charges cost West Ham star Premier League medal
Lucas Paqueta may have cleared his name over the gambling charges that have hung over him for the last two years - but the man who led the Brazilian's legal defence believes the episode has cost him a Premier League medal.
Paqueta, 27, was on the brink of an £85million move from West Ham to Manchester City when it emerged that he was being investigated by the FA over suspicions that he had deliberately got himself booked in four different games as part of a spot-fixing sting.
An independent commission ruled during the week that the FA had failed to prove their case - although two charges claiming that the midfielder failed to cooperate with the process were upheld.
Now Alastair Campbell, a partner at the law firm Level, has revealed how the case has taken a heavy toll on Paqueta - despite the positive outcome. Campbell said: 'Lucas' life has basically been on hold for the last two years.
'He woke up every morning with the fear that this could be the day when his career was going to be over. Of course, Lucas is delighted with the outcome of the commission - but what shouldn't be forgotten is that there is an alternative universe where he moves to Manchester City and now has a Premier League winner's medal.
'The strain he has been under since the charges were announced in August 2023 has been incredible. That's something that shouldn't be forgotten in all of this. This case has come at a considerable cost to Lucas, both as a person and as a professional footballer.'
Paqueta's legal team are now awaiting the commission's written findings before whether to appeal against the decision that he failed to give investigators the required help. There have also been suggestions that he could now sue the FA for damages.
Campbell, however, accepts that the FA has a duty to make sure that the game they govern is clean. He said: 'I've seen suggestions that it's embarrassing for the FA, but I don't agree with that because their role as a regulator means they have to bring charges if they feel there's a case to answer.
'Lucas has now answered those charges and I am sure the FA's legal team will take some valuable lessons from this because that's what good lawyers do. The integrity of sport is paramount.
'We have to believe that what we are seeing on the pitch is genuine, so all governing bodies must monitor this kind of thing. The charges brought against Lucas were incredibly serious and that brings a requirement for real care to be taken.
'The sheer scale of evidence and information from both sides has been massive. That's why this has taken two years.' Campbell added: 'Lucas was very emotional when I told him about the decision.
'To have this weighing on his shoulders, knowing all along that he didn't do what he had been accused of, was unbearable at times. For him to still be able to play in front of 10s of thousands of people once or twice a week is remarkable.
'Given that mental strength, I think he will get past this issue pretty quickly and get back to being the fantastic player he is.'
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