by Staff Writer
Wednesday, 3rd September 2025
The FA have confirmed they will not be appealing against the decision to find Lucas Paqueta not guilty of the most serious charges relating to his misconduct charge.
However the game's governing body have announced their intention to proceed with sanctions, almost certainly in the shape of a financial penalty rather than a ban, for the less serious of charges against Paqueta which were upheld by the Regulatory Commission.
Although Paqueta was cleared of four charges relating to FA Rule E5, which suggested that he deliberately sought to receive yellow cards in four matches between November 2022 and August 2023 - a charge which could've seen him banned form the professional game for life -he is set to be sanctioned for "failure to comply" with two breaches of Rule F3.
"The Regulatory Commission will decide an appropriate sanction for the breaches of FA Rule F3 that were found proven and the details will be published at the earliest opportunity," read a statement published on behalf of the FA, who took more than two years to bring their case to the Commission.
"The FA is committed to ensuring that the integrity of football is maintained, and full and thorough investigations will always be conducted into serious allegations of rule breaches."
The two charges for which Paqueta will now face punishment are as follows:
1. On 11 September 2023 having attended an FA interview, Paqueta failed to comply with a requirement under FA Rule F2.1, namely, to answer questions and provide information in relation to The FA’s investigation into breaches of the Rules. This failure to comply amounts to Misconduct pursuant to Rule F3,
and
2. Having attended an FA interview on 10 November 2023, Paqueta failed to comply with a requirement under FA Rule F2.1, namely, to answer questions and provide information in relation to The
FA’s investigation into breaches of the Rules. This failure to comply amounts to Misconduct pursuant to Rule F3.
During the Committee hearings, Paqueta - who has rediscovered his very best form since being exonerated - regularly pleaded his innocence against all charges faced.
"I would never jeopardise my career, which I've worked so hard at since my childhood and which is a source of significant income for me and my family, by cheating and fixing and outcome so those connected to me could gamble to gain sums which are, in this context, relatively insignificant," he said.
He also claimed not to have a close relationship with any of the individuals who were discovered to have placed bets on him receiving yellow cards during the four matches in question.
Paqueta is set to be fined in the region of £150,000 as a consequence. You may read the full outcome of the Regulatory Commission hearing here.
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