West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta is reportedly contemplating legal action against the Football Association (FA) following his acquittal in a high-profile spot-fixing investigation, as revealed by newly published commission documents.
The FA had accused the Brazilian international of attempting to manipulate disciplinary outcomes in four Premier League matches between November 2022 and August 2023. However, the independent panel dismissed the case in July 2025, with written reasons released this week confirming no concrete evidence was found linking Paqueta to betting discussions on his confiscated mobile phones.
Charges and defense
The FA alleged that 253 bettors placed £47,000 in stakes linked to Paqueta receiving yellow cards, with 27 of these individuals tied to the player. Paqueta’s legal team countered that he only maintained genuine relationships with five of the listed contacts and rarely discussed football with them. His lawyers emphasized his lack of personal interest in gambling, supported by forensic phone analysis showing no betting-related data.
Key testimonies
Former West Ham manager David Moyes and ex-Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg bolstered Paqueta’s defense. Moyes stated the incidents fell within “normal conduct” for the player, while Clattenburg disputed the FA’s evidence, arguing two of the four yellow cards were unjustified.
Commission’s findings
The panel highlighted critical flaws in the FA’s case:
- No betting data connected to the matches was found on Paqueta’s phones.
- Over 300 recovered deleted messages contained no incriminating content.
- An automatic message deletion feature on Paqueta’s device meant no adverse inference could be drawn from missing data.
“The betting patterns were inconsistent with spot-fixing and aligned with other explanations,” the commission concluded. It also noted that Paqueta’s on-field behavior during the contested matches offered no proof of intentional misconduct.
Non-compliance fine
While cleared of spot-fixing, Paqueta was fined for initially refusing to hand over his phones to investigators. His legal team, led by Alastair Campbell, argues the charges were baseless and aims to challenge the FA’s “overreach” in the case.
Campbell praised Paqueta’s resilience, stating: “Lucas is a man of faith and family, whose integrity remains unshaken. This ruling allows him to focus on football, where he’s already rediscovering his form and joy.” Paqueta scored West Ham’s opening goal in their 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest on September 1, his first match free from the investigation’s shadow.
The FA declined to comment but confirmed it would not appeal the commission’s verdict. The panel’s report serves as a stark reminder of the complexities in proving intent in sports betting cases, even amid suspicious financial activity.
“The FA must ensure its processes are robust and fair before tarnishing reputations,” Campbell added, hinting at possible damages claims for reputational harm.
As Paqueta readies for West Ham’s upcoming fixtures, the case raises broader questions about the regulatory thresholds for integrity violations in football, with the player’s camp positioning this as a fight for accountability in sports governance.
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