Lucas Paqueta: FA make appeal decision after West Ham star cleared of spot-fixing charges | OneFootball

Brazilian’s case was closed in July this year

The FA has said it will not appeal against the decision made by an independent commission to clear Lucas Paqueta of spot-fixing charges.

The written reasons for the commission’s decisions were published on Wednesday.

Sanctions in relation to two charges, which were found proven, will be decided by the commission at the earliest opportunity, the FA said.

The charges relate to an alleged failure to co-operate with the FA investigation by not answering questions and failing to provide information as part of the investigation.

"The FA is committed to ensuring that the integrity of football is maintained, and full and thorough investigations will always be conducted into serious allegations of rule breaches," the governing body said in a statement.

The Times report a fine in the region of £150,000 is what the FA are believed to be hopeful of securing, though Paqueta is expected to escape a ban.

A decision is also expected to be made over whether the FA will cover Paqueta’s legal fees, believed to be more than £1million.

The two-year investigation, which started in August 2023, cost Paqueta an £85m move to Manchester City that same month.

West Ham declined to comment.

Alastair Campbell, partner at Level and the head of Paqueta’s legal team said: "This judgment shows that Lucas had to go to great lengths to prove his innocence.

“Only by taking such a comprehensive approach was he able to demonstrate that so-called ‘suspicious’ betting patterns did not indicate spot-fixing, and that his performances in the relevant matches were not those of a player trying to be carded.

“Lucas is a deeply religious man, absolutely dedicated to his wife and young children. The evidence not only showed he has no interest in gambling whatsoever, but confirmed that his integrity as both a player and a person is beyond doubt.

“With this case no longer hanging over him, he can stop speaking to lawyers and focus fully on what matters most: faith, family and football.

“We are still making submissions in relation to the non-cooperation charge. But in a case where his entire career was at risk, Lucas is unquestionably the successful party. It’s fantastic to see him playing so well without this burden – he has his mojo back.”