Latest news with #LucasPaquetá
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lucas Paquetá spot-fixing trial ends but West Ham unhappy over wait for verdict
Lucas Paquetá has denied wrongdoing and said he was 'extremely surprised and upset' to have been charged. Lucas Paquetá has denied wrongdoing and said he was 'extremely surprised and upset' to have been charged. Photograph:Lucas Paquetá's spot-fixing trial has finally concluded but the West Ham midfielder has been told he must wait four to eight weeks for a verdict. The Brazil international faces a possible life ban from football after being charged by the Football Association with four counts of being deliberately booked to influence betting markets and two of failing to cooperate with its investigation. Advertisement The matter cost Paquetá an £80m transfer to Manchester City two years ago, after the FA opened an investigation, having received information regarding suspicious betting patterns surrounding bookings he had got in four Premier League matches. Paquetá was charged by the FA in May 2024 after a 10-month investigation but the disciplinary proceedings have been beset by delays, to the frustration of the player and his club. The independent commission presiding over the case began the hearing in March but proceedings were adjourned after three weeks because lawyers on both sides had other engagements. The hearing resumed last month. West Ham are unhappy that the matter appears likely to drag for at least another month and disrupt another transfer window, leaving their head coach, Graham Potter, uncertain over whether a key player will be part of his squad next season. Paquetá has denied wrongdoing and has received the strong backing of his club. Sources who have given evidence to the commission and watched all of the proceedings have expressed confidence that the hearing has gone well from Paquetá's point of view, but there is concern at West Ham that the commission can determine guilt based on 'the balance of probabilities' rather than needing to meet the criminal threshold of being convinced 'beyond reasonable doubt'. Advertisement Paquetá was charged after allegations that he was deliberately booked to earn money for family and friends in Brazil. 'I am extremely surprised and upset that the FA has decided to charge me,' he said at the time, his only public comments on the case. '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.' The FA alleges that Paquetá 'directly sought to influence … 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'. The FA's charge sheet is understood to include the recommendation of a life ban if he is found guilty. The FA declined to comment.
The Guardian
17-05-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Paquetá betting rules case is taking physical and mental toll, reveals West Ham's Potter
Graham Potter has revealed the investigation into whether Lucas Paquetá breached betting rules is taking its toll both mentally and physically on the West Ham player. The Football Association's inquiry into allegations Paquetá deliberately got himself booked in four matches, which he denies but which could leads to his being banned for life if found guilty, has lasted more than two years. The Brazil midfielder was in tears after being booked against Tottenham two weeks ago, after which Potter explained he was 'frustrated' and had 'given everything and in difficult circumstances'. But later that evening Paquetá's wife, Maria Fournier, detailed the anguish the case is causing, writing on Instagram: 'My husband has a posture and a strength that I admire and impresses me. We have been living this nightmare for two years.' Paquetá was left on the bench for last weekend's 2-0 win at Manchester United, with Potter at the time explaining that he had a cold. But as he prepared for Sunday's visit of Nottingham Forest, Potter said: 'It was both. The week he had was a particularly tough week for him personally, which I think everyone can understand. And then as a result of that he was feeling under the weather on the day before the game and the day of the game. 'So I didn't want to risk him and make it worse for him. But he's trained really well, he wants to be part of the team and we'll see how to use him for the weekend. 'There's a bit going round to be fair – I've had a bit of a sore throat as well. But you know what it's like; sometimes stress, pressure, can manifest itself in a different way.' Potter is desperate for the case to be resolved before the start of next season. 'For everybody concerned, yes,' he said. 'It's not my thing to talk about, but the sooner the better for everyone. 'In fairness to Lucas I think he's handled it brilliantly. I don't know if I said it's taken its toll on him. That week was a big week for him, but he has to go through what he has to go through. 'But generally he's come in and conducted himself in a really good way. He's just ready to help the team. I think coming into work is a distraction for him, it takes his mind off things. He's handled it really well. For me I'm just there to support him, the same with his teammates.'
The Guardian
07-04-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
West Ham's Paquetá in limbo as spot-fixing hearing adjourned until summer
Lucas Paquetá faces a frustrating wait as he fights a possible life ban over Football Association spot-fixing charges because the case will not finish until June at the earliest. The independent panel presiding over the hearing did not conclude proceedings in the initial allotted three-week slot, that ended last Friday, because of its complexity. The case has been adjourned. Owing to the lawyers' other commitments, it is understood the hearing will not resume until June, leaving Paquetá in limbo. The Brazilian withdrew from World Cup qualifiers against Argentina and Colombia last month so he could take part in the hearing but has made himself available for West Ham and played all of their Premier League games against Wolves and Bournemouth last week. West Ham are backing Paquetá and are unhappy with the FA's handling of the most high-profile corruption case in English football since Bruce Grobbelaar was acquitted of conspiring to fix five Premier League games in a criminal trial 27 years ago. The club had asked the FA to put back Paquetá's hearing until the summer to avoid disrupting their season. West Ham sources have expressed frustration that Paquetá has experienced the worst of both worlds, with a hearing that began on 17 March not concluding until the summer. There could be a further delay if Paquetá is found guilty and a separate hearing is required to determine the punishment. The case could overshadow another summer transfer window for West Ham. Manchester City had agreed to pay £80m for Paquetá in August 2023 but pulled out after it emerged the FA was investigating suspicious betting patterns surrounding four bookings he had received in the preceding nine months. Paquetá was charged with four counts of spot-fixing and two of obstructing an FA investigation in May 2024 after allegations that he was deliberately booked in Premier League games to earn money for family and friends in Brazil. He strongly denied wrongdoing. 'I am extremely surprised and upset that the FA has decided to charge me,' he said. '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' The FA has alleged that Paquetá 'directly sought to influence … 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'. The charge sheet is understood to include the recommendation of a life ban if he is found guilty. The FA and West Ham declined to comment.
Express Tribune
06-03-2025
- Sport
- Express Tribune
West Ham's Lucas Paquetá faces FA betting charges, potential lifetime ban
The Football Association (FA) is pushing for a lifetime ban for West Ham midfielder Lucas Paquetá ahead of his upcoming betting charge hearing, which is set to be one of the longest proceedings in FA history. Paquetá, 26, was charged in May 2024 for allegedly breaching FA betting regulations. The charges state that he attempted to manipulate matches by deliberately receiving yellow cards to influence betting markets for financial gain. The three-week hearing is scheduled for this month. In a statement at the time of the charges, the Brazilian international denied any wrongdoing. "I'm extremely surprised and upset that the FA has decided to charge me. For nine months, I've fully cooperated with 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," he said. The FA and West Ham have declined to comment on the matter. However, sources close to Paquetá suggest he remains confident of proving his innocence. He insists he has never placed a bet on football and is determined to clear his name. Paquetá, who has been a key player for West Ham since joining from Lyon in 2022, could face severe consequences if found guilty, with the FA pushing for the harshest possible sanction.
