Lucas Paqueta Spot Fixing Case: FA Criticized, But Report Fails To Fully Clear Player

The independent Regulatory Commission has released its written reasons in the Lucas Paquetá case that saw the player cleared of spot-fixing charges.

The report is damning against the English Football Association (FA), criticizing the lack of independent evidence presented. However, it does not completely exonerate the player.

The FA charged Paquetá in May last year with four counts of spot-fixing following a 10-month investigation. The player was accused of deliberately picking up yellow cards while playing for Premier League side West Ham.

The three-person independent commission panel concluded that there was insufficient evidence to show that Paquetá was guilty. He was therefore cleared of the charges and can continue his career.

Paquetá’s lawyer Nick De Marco said the 314-page report is the “longest sports-related judgment ever issued in the world”. In the report, the commission criticizes the FA for not bringing forth a coherent case.

It states, “The clear appearance given to the commission was that the FA was not altogether certain what case it was presenting against the player.”

Paqueta Linked to Bettors Who Profited

While there is much criticism of the FA in the report, it also details suspicions against Paquetá. In the end, the commission ruled that there was no concrete evidence showing the player had deliberately picked up the yellow cards.

The FA could not find any messages on Paquetá’s phone showing he had informed anyone of the fix. However, it did find links to the Brazilian and 27 bettors in his home country.

There were 3 bettors who wagered on all four matches, and while Paquetá denied knowing one individual, it was found that they were friends on Facebook.

The names of the individual bettors have been blanked out in the report, but they were all from Brazil. The FA believed the information was given by Paquetá to his mother, with whom he had daily contact. His mother may then have dispersed the information through the hair salon she ran in Brazil.

Paquetá claims there was nothing he said in their conversations that indicated he might get booked. However, a family member whom his mother spoke with was found to be one of the bettors.

His mother denies she explicitly said he would be booked, but did admit to talking about her son’s condition and state of mind. She also declined to say that there was nothing in her conversations with family members that suggested Paquetá might pick up a card in a match.

Instead, she said: “I don’t know if anyone l have spoken to might have interpreted my normal conversations about Lucas as
indicating that he was more likely to get a yellow card in a given match.”

Varied Bets Help Clear Player

The Commission noted that the number of individuals who placed bets on the four matches in question varied considerably. There were 17, 249, 87, and 189 bettors who wagered on each match, respectively.

The report stated: “In the Commission’s view, common-sense dictates that if an individual benefits from receipt of information on a spot-fix, they would wish to also benefit from future spot-fixes.”

While common sense may indicate this, it would also be prudent for those with insider information not to always pass on the information to many people. The report goes on to note this, but still concludes that the inconsistent pattern of betting suggests there was not a fix.

In the end, with only circumstantial evidence, the commission sided with the player. There is nothing in the report, however, that concretely shows Paquetá was innocent in the affair.

Following the release of the commission’s findings, the FA said it would not appeal against the ruling. For those who wish, they can download the 314-page document here.

FA Presses For Different Charges

The FA is bringing new charges against Paquetá for failing to cooperate with its investigation. The report mentions that Paquetá answered “no comment” to all questions asked in the first two interviews relating to the case in September and November 2023.

The commission’s report says that Paquetá later offered to answer questions, but at that stage, the FA did not follow up. The body perhaps believed it had enough circumstantial evidence to pursue a conviction.

If convicted by the commission, it is likely Paquetá would have faced a lengthy, and possibly lifetime, ban due to not cooperating and the high-profile nature of the case. The FA said the charges he now faces will result in a fine at most.

In Australia, A-League player Riku Danzaki was criminally prosecuted and fined for admitting to deliberately collecting yellow cards. His accomplice, an amateur soccer player who placed bets on Danzaki to be booked, was also fined. Danzaki is currently without a club, but may yet be banned from professional soccer as a result of the charges.

Paquetá, who maintained his innocence, has scored twice for West Ham in the opening three games of the Premier League season.