West Ham star Lucas Paqueta stands trial accused of four separate charges of spot-fixing but the Brazilian is also charged on two other counts.
It will be 19 months and 576 days since West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta was first accused of involvement in illegal betting.
After nine months of FA investigations, West Ham playmaker Paqueta was then officially charged in May last year.
Now, another 10 months on, Hammers ace Paqueta will finally stand trial on Monday.
It means the game at Everton this weekend could be Paqueta’s last ever for West Ham or anyone.
The FA are pushing for Paqueta to receive a lifetime ban if he is found guilty.
The 27-year-old has always vehemently maintained his innocence.
Last week, Paqueta declared he won’t rest until he has cleared his name.
West Ham ace Paqueta to face the music 19 months on
It has since been revealed Paqueta has called in a legal big gun to fight his corner against the FA.
There has been incessant reporting around the case, not all of it entirely accurate.
So here Hammers News lays out all the facts about the case ahead of the trial, which the FA has set aside three weeks to be heard – two of which come over the international break – starting on Monday.
The allegations around Paqueta centre around four bookings received playing for West Ham.
But the Brazil midfielder is actually facing six charges.
Here we look at them in full, why West Ham are worried and how the trial will be decided as the FA push to ban the mercurial talent for life.
What are the FA charges against West Ham star Paqueta?
Lucas Paqueta has been officially charged with misconduct in relation to alleged breaches of FA Rules E5 and F3.
West Ham’s £51m record signing has been charged with four breaches of FA Rule E5.1 in relation to his conduct in the club’s Premier League fixtures against Leicester City on 12 November 2022; Aston Villa on 12 March 2023; Leeds United on 21 May 2023; and AFC Bournemouth on 12 August 2023.
It is alleged by the FA that Paqueta directly sought to influence the progress, conduct, or any other aspect of, or occurrence in these 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.
Video footage of those bookings has been frequently re-posted on social media and will form part of the FA’s evidence to a three-person independent panel.
In addition to those four charges, Paqueta has also been charged with two breaches of FA Rule F3 in respect of alleged failures to comply pursuant to FA Rule F2.
What are FA Rule F2 and F3?
- FA Rule F2: This rule allows the FA to require any participant (player, coach, club official, etc.) to attend, answer questions, provide documents, information, or other materials, upon reasonable notice.
- FA Rule F3:This rule defines misconduct as a breach, including failing to comply with a requirement under FA Rule F2.
Why are West Ham worried about the Paqueta case?
West Ham have stood steadfastly behind their highest paid player from the start.
That’s despite the allegations collapsing Paqueta’s proposed £85m move to Manchester City which would have seen Cole Palmer join the Hammers – as confirmed since by both former boss David Moyes and vice-chair Karren Brady.
There have been claims Paqueta will sue the FA for loss of earnings over that move collapse. But that will hinge on him being cleared.
The FA has stated since the official charges that they will be making no further comment until the conclusion of this case.
West Ham have been pretty tight-lipped too, besides confirming the trial will start on Monday.
There have been reports that the Hammers board are concerned about the outcome of the case.
For West Ham, Paqueta is not only a key player but an asset who has an official book value of £20m.
That is money West Ham desperately need right now as they look to rebuild against the backdrop of PSR restrictions with £80m losses looming on the horizon.
Senior Hammers sources recently told Mail Sport they are not confident of a victory as they believe the odds are stacked against them and their player.
Fears about the outcome of the case stem from the way the trial will be heard.
West Ham insiders said last week they see the trial as ‘savage’ and that it is ‘very wrong’ Paqueta’s career could be destroyed on a potential ‘51 per cent’ guilty verdict.
How will the Paqueta trial be decided?
West Ham’s biggest concern centres around the standard of proof for the independent three-person panel being based on a “balance of probabilities”.
That is the case in all civil law cases – the umbrella the Paqueta trial falls under.
It is very different to the more rigorous “beyond a reasonable doubt” threshold which is applied in criminal proceedings.
In layman’s terms, the FA effectively only need to prove it is more likely than not that Paqueta engaged in spot-fixing by deliberately being booked to influence betting markets during those West Ham matches.,
Under FA rules, the civil standard of ‘balance of probabilities’ is used by their Regulatory Commissions in cases.
It is also concerning for West Ham that the FA are pushing for a lifetime ban after spending many months gathering and studying evidence.
Paqueta remains adamant he has done nothing wrong and will be absolved.
West Ham and the player will find out soon enough.
