A top sports lawyer has laid down the Lucas Paqueta reality for West Ham after he was charged by the FA over illegal betting.
There have been plenty of internet sleuths condemning West Ham star Lucas Paqueta as guilty since he was officially charged by the FA on Thursday.
In a statement an FA spokesman confirmed Paqueta has been charged with misconduct in relation to alleged breaches of FA Rules E5 and F3.
Paqueta has been playing under a cloud for West Ham since the allegations – which he has vehemently denied again – emerged last summer.
There are precedents for these kind of charges in England.
But they involve lesser known players at a much lower level.
This is on a completely different scale entirely.
Because at £51m Paqueta is West Ham’s club record signing. We are talking about a player who, on his day, is one of the best in the Premier League.
Paqueta stands by innocence
A player valued at £85m – a price the champions Man City were willing to pay last summer and this until the investigation and now charges scuppered that move.
Paqueta is one of the first names on Brazil’s teamsheet. So make no mistake, West Ham’s star is very much setting a new precedent by being involved in such allegations.
There had been rumour and speculation that the charges against Paqueta were going to be dropped.
But Hammers News has revealed the real reason Paqueta has been formally charged.
As well as posting videos of the yellow card incidents in question, many have presumed Paqueta’s guilt.
Just as many have incorrectly compared the situation to that of Ivan Toney and Sandro Tonali, who were banned for eight and 10 months respectively recently.
Now a top sports lawyer has laid down the Paqueta reality for West Ham.
Top sports lawyer lays down Paqueta reality
And he says it is a ‘different magnitude’ to what we have seen previously.
Dan Chapman is a leading sports lawyer and partner at Leathes Prior.
He has pointed out that Paqueta should not be presumed guilty.
But by the same token warns that if he is, then it really is curtains for the Brazilian.
“If Paqueta were found guilty of these offences, which we must note he strongly denies, it is likely that we would be looking at a sanction of an entirely different magnitude to those imposed to players such as Ivan Toney or Sandro Tonali – who were found guilty of betting on the outcome of matches (and often matches they were not involved in),” Chapman told our sister title HITC.
“Paqueta’s alleged spot-fixing would be considered as a far more serious type of offending, given it strikes at the integrity of the game and is an overt attempt by one individual to manipulate the sporting outcomes on the pitch for his own financial benefit, or the benefits of others associated to him.
“It is noteworthy that in addition to the main spot-fixing charge, under FA Rule E5.1, he has also been charged under FA Rule F2, which is essentially a failure to co-operate with the investigation charge.
“Whilst we have seen quite a few spot-fixing sanctions in other sports (principally cricket) there are not too many high-profile precedents in UK football.
‘He will be aided’
“However, the FA’s position in their sentencing guidelines is that the starting point for a breach of FA Rule E5.1 is a lifetime ban, and that only in exceptional circumstances should a ban be anything else.
“Much will be made of the 10-year ban given in 2022 to Kynan Isaac, a non-league player who was found guilty of intentionally seeking a yellow card so for betting purposes. Having read the decision of the independent regulatory commission in that case, it is noteworthy that Isaac was found guilty of seeking a yellow card in one fixture only but that he was heavily criticised for his conduct and lack of co-operation with the regulatory process – we can assume Paqueta will co-operate and will be aided by legal representation of the highest standard.
“It is also worth noting that Bradley Wood was banned for 5 years in 2018 for deliberately seeking a yellow card on two occasions whilst playing for Lincoln City, and the FA appealed that decision (unsuccessfully) as being unduly lenient.
“What is clear is that, if found guilty, it is hard to imagine Paqueta would not be facing an extremely substantial ban, and that the FA will be bound to seek a lengthy ban, and one that in reality would likely be all but career-ending.”
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