1 week Ago
The hearing into Lucas Paqueta’s alleged spot-fixing has been put on hold and will not be concluded until at least May. The West Ham United midfielder was charged by the English Football Association (FA) in May 2024 with deliberately getting booked in four Premier League matches so he and/or his friends could benefit by betting on that happening. He denies any wrongdoing.
Advertisement The hearing into the allegations began last month and was previously expected to finish around this time but sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to discuss the case, have told The Athletic that it will now not be done until at least May. Former West Ham manager David Moyes, meanwhile, has agreed to be a witness as part of Paqueta’s defence at the hearing. The 27-year-old Brazilian’s legal team requested for Moyes to give evidence and the Scot has agreed to take part.
Referring to four yellow cards Paqueta received while playing for West Ham, the FA alleges the midfielder “directly sought to influence (...
) 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”. The four bookings came in games against Leicester City on November 12, 2022, Aston Villa on March 12, 2023, Leeds United on May 21, 2023, and Bournemouth on August 12, 2023. Separately from the FA hearing, as reported by The Athletic in February, a report from a parliamentary inquiry in Brazil has recommended criminal proceedings against Paqueta’s uncle Bruno Tolentin for the alleged manipulation of a sporting event for profit.
Tolentino was invited to give evidence before the parliamentary commission but opted to remain silent during his hearing. (Julian Finney/Getty Images).
