Lucas Paqueta’s wife has sent a heartfelt message to West Ham amid the uncertainty over his future, just as his fearsome lawyer – known in legal circles as the ‘Godfather’ – has broken his silence on the case.
With emotions running high behind the scenes, both voices offer a rare glimpse into the Lucas Paqueta camp and their mindset after the FA’s spot-fixing case could not be proven.
West Ham star Paqueta was absolved of accusations he was deliberately booked on four separate occasions to influence betting markets.
The Hammers’ record £51m signing was also charged with two counts of failing to co-operate with the investigation after breaching “FA Rule F3 in respect of alleged failures to comply pursuant to FA Rule F2”, which relates to providing information and documents.
Paqueta also denied these charges, but the regulatory commission found them to be proven and will “decide an appropriate sanction for these breaches at the earliest opportunity”.
Paqueta thanks wife, lawyers, West Ham and fans
West Ham and Paqueta released a statement on the case, emphasising the toll it has taken in the two long years since the investigation started.
With Paqueta free to continue his career, speculation has been rife West Ham may now sell the 27-year-old.
That should not be overly surprising given Paqueta was days away from joining Man City when the allegations first arose.
And especially given West Ham have made it clear for some time they must sell players in order to buy due to PSR.
Many West Ham fans are hoping Paqueta stays and gets back to his best. Others believe it is the right time to recoup some money and invest it in younger players targeted by Graham Potter.
With the transfer window closing in exactly one month, Hammers supporters won’t have to wait long to find out what Paqueta’s future holds.
In his own statement, Paqueta singled out his wife, Duda Fournier, West Ham United, the fans and his legal team for their unwavering support.
The midfield star also said he now looks forward to playing with a smile on his face again in the future.
Paqueta’s wife sends message to West Ham
It is a future possible largely due to the skills and expertise of one man in particular – renowned defence barrister Nick De Marco KC.
De Marco may not be a household name for most football fans. But most will be well aware of some of the cases he has fought.
The FA and Premier League will be sick of the sight of De Marco, who has underlined his reputation as one of the most important and prominent figures in the legal side of football.
De Marco is dubbed ‘The Godfather’ of sports law and Paqueta’s case has now been added to his long list of successes.
Back in March, Hammers News reported on a leak that De Marco believed Paqueta would be acquitted of the spot-fixing charges due to lack of direct evidence implicating his client.
So it proved.
Now Paqueta’s wife has sent a message to West Ham as his ‘Godfather’ lawyer speaks out.
Responding to West Ham’s statement on her husband, Fournier said: “Our family loves you West Ham.”
In his own post on X, De Marco sent a lengthy and touching message about the Paqueta case, praising the player for his mental fortitude and West Ham for their conduct.
Despite the high-profile cases De Marco has worked on, he says the Paqueta trial is one of the most important of his life given what was at stake.
Paqueta’s ‘Godfather’ lawyer De Marco speaks out
“I cannot say how happy I was to receive the news that all the spot fixing charges against Lucas Paquetá have been dismissed after a long two years,” De Marco said.
“Having got to know Lucas during the process, and spent much time with the evidence, I am delighted the correct verdict has been reached.
“Doing a case for an individual, especially one as dedicated and talented as Lucas, whose whole career and life depends on the outcome, can be very stressful at times. But when the final result is the right one it makes it all worthwhile.
“That’s why for me this is probably one of the most important cases I have ever worked on, and one I shall never forget.
“I’m very grateful for the patience of the Regulatory Commission and the support of my great legal team, especially barrister Kendrah Potts and solicitor Alastair Campbell from Level, as well as the unwavering support of West Ham United throughout, and of course to Lucas and his advisers, for their trust.
“We await reading the written reasons when they are published, and apart from sharing my happiness and thanks, I can’t comment any further.”
Speculation is already mounting of interest in Paqueta.
It remains to be seen whether he will stay at West Ham and he allegedly has Premier League, Saudi and Brazilian clubs interested.
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