FA ordered to pay 90% of costs in the betting saga of West Ham United star Lucas Paqueta | OneFootball

The FA face a legal bill of more than £1 million after being ordered to pay 90 percent of costs in the betting saga involving West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta, according to the Times.

Paqueta avoided a lifetime suspension after he was cleared of spot-fixing allegations in July. He remains at the London Stadium club after he was linked with a summer exit.

However, the West Ham star has been found guilty of failing to answer questions and provide information to the FA’s investigation.

Paqueta has only been reprimanded with a warning, and he will be contribute just 10% of the commission’s costs.

The governing body will pick up almost whole of Paqueta’s legal fees after he had considered legal action against them.

He could now draw a line under the matter as the FA have no plans to appeal against the panel’s decision.

The 28-year-old was accused of deliberately getting yellow-carded in games against Leicester City, Aston Villa, Leeds United and Bournemouth between 2022 and 2024.

The bookings were allegedly designed to help his friends and family members in Brazil win bets, and the accusations blocked him from joining Manchester City in 2023.

The saga has finally ended, with the FA now set to cover almost the legal costs accrued. Paqueta and West Ham will be happy that the case has been settled.