00:00West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta has been cleared of spot-fixing allegations by an
00:07independent regulatory commission nearly two years after the Football Association's first
00:13opened its investigation. The Brazilian international was charged in May 2024 with
00:19four alleged breaches related to De Liberty receiving yellow cards in Premier League matches
00:25against Leicester in 2022, Aston Villa, Leeds United and Bournemouth in August 2023.
00:33Had he been found guilty, Paqueta faced the possibility of a lifetime ban. However,
00:39the commission ruled all four charges as not proven. Paqueta was also accused of failing to
00:45cooperate with the investigation, bridging FA rules F2 and F3. These charges were upheld
00:51and a separate sanction will be determined in due course. His wife Maria Fournier had previously
00:58described the saga as a nightmare after he was visibly emotional following a booking against
01:04Tottenham in May. Paqueta joined West Ham from Lyon in August 2022 for £36.5 million and played a key
01:13role in their Europa Conference League triumph in 2023. He scored four goals in 33 games during the
01:202024-25 season. Vice Chair Karen Brady welcomed the verdict, saying the club resolutely stood by
01:27Paqueta. Throughout, it's been a difficult time, but Lucas remained professional. Now he can move forward.
01:35The FA stated it will await the commission's written reasons before commenting further.
01:41The case stands in contrast to other high-profile breaches. Ivan Toney received an eight-month ban in 2023.
01:48Sandro Tonali and Harry Toffolo were given suspended bans for multiple betting offences.
01:55And Jerry Barton received a 13-month suspension in 2017. Others included Bradley Wood and Kynan Isaac
02:02were banned for spot-fixing.
02:05Paqueta has been cleared of the most serious charges. His case highlights the intense scrutiny
02:10on betting integrity in modern football.
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