Rafael Nogueira
West Ham Midfielder Faces Conduct Warning
Lucas Paqueta, the West Ham United midfielder, has been officially reprimanded and warned about his future conduct following an investigation into alleged spot-fixing. However, the Football Association (FA) has decided not to impose a fine on the Brazil international.
In July, an independent regulatory commission cleared Paqueta of four charges that he deliberately got booked in four separate matches in 2022 and 2023 to influence the betting market. The 28-year-old was, however, found guilty of two breaches of FA Rule F3 for failing to comply with the investigation’s requirements to answer questions and provide information.
During the investigation, Paqueta gave “no comment” answers to most questions in two FA interviews, both conducted before he was formally charged. The commission acknowledged that Paqueta was acting on legal advice but emphasized that as a participant, he has an obligation to respect and abide by the regulations.
Mitigating Factors Considered
The commission noted that a financial penalty was the starting point for sanction but decided against it due to several mitigating factors. These included Paqueta’s “limited knowledge of English” and the expectation that he, as a player without legal training, would follow the advice of the leading counsel appointed by his club.
The commission also observed that the FA did not seem interested in Paqueta’s responses during the second interview, where he offered to answer questions arising from the disclosure after the first interview. “In any event, the player provided answers to the matters raised by the FA by his provision of a witness statement on 15 December 2023, thus in reality complying with the request for information,” the commission stated.
Paqueta had also volunteered the production of his mobile devices for interrogation, all of which occurred before charges were brought and did not ultimately frustrate the investigation. The commission found no evidence of prejudice advanced by the FA.
Additional factors considered were the “weighty” legal fees Paqueta had encountered during the case and the “mental stress” he suffered due to the “extremely serious” nature of the allegations. The commission recognized that Paqueta’s mental stress included the realization that, had the spot-fixing charges been proven, his footballing career would almost certainly have come to an end.
The commission’s written reasons for the decision were published on Friday, providing a comprehensive overview of the case and the factors considered in their judgment.