Despite recent news from Brazil that Lucas Paqueta’s uncle may face six years in jail for his part in a match fixing scheme and a whistle blower claiming he acted on privileged information that Paqueta would give a present to his brother on his birthday by committing a yellow card offence, the evidence against the West Ham player appears to be circumstantial at best.
Paqueta faces the outcome of a FA tribunal after the season ends but it is claimed by people close to the player there is no hard evidence to link him directly to any wrongdoing and instead the case will rely on betting patterns, links to people known to Paqueta, location of bets place and the probability that he must be involved.
Considering he faces a potential lifetime ban, he and his agents together with his legal representatives could claim a 51% probability he did it is not enough to end his career and deprive him of his living.
Should Paqueta lose his FA tribunal this summer he is likely to immediately appeal the ruling escalating to the European Court of Arbitration and most likely the European court of human rights.
The FA could face multi-million-pound lawsuit if they do not allow Paqueta to continue to play when his case is being appealed through the courts.
Those appeals could easily last years in the courts and perhaps the remainder of his playing career.
At a reported wage £7.8m per year at West Ham he could claim as much £62m if wrongly banned from football from the remainder of his career at the topflight.
The FA might decide it is gamble not worth taking and the financial risk is too great to the football organisation and to set a legal precedence.
I said all of this ages ago. Unless there’s a smoking gun, such as a voice recording or a text/email for Paq, then there’s circumstancial evidence at best. That will never stand a test against the ECHR in depriving him of his livelihood. If anything, he’ll get a short ban as a slap on the wrist – that’s easier to accept than fight. Probably agreed behind closed doors. The FA cannot win this!
The FA are taking on a multi millionaire who is able to pay for the best legal representation from his weekly wage is the bottom line.
At what point does it become a case that the FA have an obligation to get on with doing something as dither and delay has a detrimental affect on his life and career ?
A valid point John. I imagine WHUFC also have a vested interest in a positive outcome for Paqueta in prolonging this matter as they can at least enjoy a full term playing contract career.