West Ham's Lucas Paqueta cleared of spot-fixing charges
The Brazilian was charged with four alleged breaches of FA Rule E5.1 by the FA in May 2024 in relation to matches involving West Ham.
It was alleged Paqueta directly sought to influence matches by intentionally seeking to receive a card from the referee for the improper purpose of affecting the betting market, in order for one or more persons to profit from betting.
He denied the charges and an independent regulatory commission found the charges not proven following a hearing. The English FA said two charges against Paqueta related to a failure to co-operate with its investigation had been found proven.
The English FA said a commission would decide on an appropriate sanction for those proven breaches 'at the earliest opportunity'.
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The games Paqueta had allegedly sought to influence were the Hammers' Premier League matches against Leicester on 12 November, 2022, Aston Villa on 12 March, 2023, Leeds on 21 May, 2023 and Bournemouth on 12 August, 2023.
Paqueta said in quotes released via the club: 'Since the first day of this investigation, I have maintained my innocence against these extremely serious accusations.
'I can't say anything more at this time, but I would like to express how grateful I am to God and how eager I am to return to playing football with a smile on my face.
'To my wife who never let go of my hand, to West Ham United, to the fans who always cheered me on and to my family, friends and the legal team who have supported me – thank you for everything.'
West Ham vice-chair Karren Brady added: 'We are pleased Lucas has been cleared.
'He has maintained his innocence from the outset and as a club we have resolutely stood by him and supported him throughout the process.
'Despite the incredible pressure on him, Lucas has performed week in and week out for the club, always giving everything.
'It has been a difficult time for Lucas and his family, but he has remained absolutely professional throughout and he is now looking forward to drawing a line under this episode, as is everyone at West Ham United.'
Alastair Campbell, a partner at the law firm Level and the head of Paqueta's legal team, said: 'Few cases carry the gravity of this one – professionally, personally and emotionally for our client.
'Lucas has faced down immense pressure with remarkable strength and resilience.
'Level is delighted that we've been able to help demonstrate that Lucas' integrity as a player and a person is in no doubt.
'Now, he can finally get back to focusing on the things that matter most to him – playing football and being with his family.'
The English FA said it was awaiting the written reasons from the independent commission in relation to its decision on the charges, and would not be commenting further until that time.
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