So, Lucas Paquetá’s legal team believe their client will be acquitted of any wrongdoing by the FA… I bet they bloody do.
And honestly, can you blame them? With each passing day, the Football Association’s case against West Ham’s playmaker looks more and more flimsy.
Reports of £7 bets and £30 stakes being labelled as “unusually large” have shifted the narrative from sinister cartel operations to pocket change found behind the sofa. No wonder the FA are dragging their heels.
It’s hard to imagine the FA aren’t now questioning the entire foundation of their investigation. Do they really have the evidence to justify pressing charges? From the outside, it doesn’t look like it.
As we detailed yesterday, this case has already had real consequences. Paquetá’s £80 million transfer to Manchester City collapsed due to the ongoing investigation, and West Ham also missed out on a huge payday. If the Brazilian is found innocent, the FA could be liable for tens of millions in compensation—to both the player and the club.
And let’s not forget, their case will likely be subject to the scrutiny of a High Court appeal if it gets that far. At this stage, it’s fair to question how it even got to this stage such is the damage it could cause to the governing body. Who green-lit an 18-month investigation into micro-stakes betting with no concrete evidence linking the player?
It increasingly looks like the FA tried to make an example of West Ham’s record signing—an ill-judged attempt at a ‘zero tolerance’ statement. If so, it’s a move that could backfire spectacularly.
Last season, the FA reported an operating profit of £39 million on a turnover just north of £400 million. That’s not a lot of wiggle room. If they’ve exposed themselves to a potential lawsuit from both Lucas Paquetá and West Ham United, it could have serious and lasting consequences.
This may turn out to be one of the most expensive miscalculations in the FA’s history.
Us supporters should also be compensated for the stress that shambles that this dragged on mess has caused for us too
I have held the opinion, going back to the days of Graham Kelly et al, that the whole shower be put to designing frocks.
The FA have a duty to investigate such cases, the mere fact they were wrong (if they are) does not give rise to a cause of action (grounds for Pacquetta or West Ham to sue the FA).
The FA had a duty to investigate, which they did. However Lucas Paqueta’s legal team threatened to sue the FA for delaying things, as they couldn’t decide if they had enough evidence to charge him or not. His legal team were attempting to force the FA’s hand as these delays were interfering with his possible move to Man City. In that situation the FA had 2 choices, to let it go or to charge him. They charged him with the knowledge it would release them from the possible lawsuit, giving them more time to find any incriminating evidence. They also knew a lower threshold of guilt would be required in legal terms, so it shouldn’t be as difficult to find him guilty with a 3 man panel.
However, the fact that they had charged him before they got all their ducks in a row and then asked for his phone back again just shows how disorganised it has been from start to finish.
The other side of things, which maybe the FA didn’t really think about is although by charging him it solved the lawsuit issue at the time, it has quite possibly opened them up to more damaging lawsuits further down the road.
The likelihood is if he isn’t found guilty the damages claimed for will be for much larger sums considering how long it has taken, and there will be other parties involved too, ie Lucas & WHU.
It will probably be agreed that everyone walks away without further actions being taken. This would save face for the FA. Even if the FA were to pay costs and compensation, no heads would roll. What a job to have. Loads of money for doing nothing. If anyone is considered culpable then they will just be ‘moved’ to a better paid job with some equally useless organisation with the understanding that they don’t make waves. Gordon Taylor did well for himself at PFA.
The FA has proven itself incompetent and corrupt . It needs to be shredded with everyone connected hung out to dry . Man City were illegally tipped off days before the Paqueta transfer which has cost Westham money and likely a European spot due to damaged player form and diminished transfers . Paqueta’s career destroyed even if found innocent .
Clutching at straws. He’s a cheat in every game, so why is he ‘innocent’ on this?
A hole spurs fan
You’ve missed the ‘value’ of Cole Palmer being a £30m makeweight in the deal. If the rumour mill is to be believed, it was a done deal. He’s now worth £100m?
No one has ever said that this could be that BETWAY, our Sponsors, brought this charge in order to scupper the Man City deal, but they have hugely miscalculated their actions and it has gotten out of hand with the FA taking these charges seriously.
Why would BETWAY bring these charges and seriously damage relations with their paymasters unless it was to keep Paqueta at West Ham , but they have seriously miscalculated the consequences
If this is the case then West Ham could sue BETWAY too
Good. Do them.
Chasing him for less than the cost of a pint at a premiership match versus not chasing Man City.
Do them good and proper.
Like you said the other day, Gonzo. The FA has to find Pac guilty. If they don’t, the ramifications are enormous? Think we will see skulduggery from the FA?
It will still end up in a high court which will be judged on evidence which there appears to be none against probability which the fa is basing it’s case on and without real evidence in a court you have no case so basically the fa for a few quid a gambling company lost will lose a whole lot more, they had plenty of time to drop this case , they pursued xhaka at arsenal for same for 18 months and dropped it, obviously didn’t learn their lesson, and just painted themselves into a corner, now the paints wet and their stuck , maybe they can get the money back off Betway
Reads to me that ALL these organising bodies Have far too much power and it has gone straight to their heads
How is it allowed that any 3 men can justify a mans career to this extent with just words and it appears no actual proof that what was said (IF ANYTHING) was not misunderstood and not just an off the cuff remark
This story is just wrong.
West Ham are due no compensation over the failed transfer. If you understood the law you would know that
IT wasn’t a failed transfer it was all agreed 80 million and we get palmer