[Lucas Paqueta’s](https://www.claretandhugh.info/lucas-paquetas-hearing-potters-background-work-crucial/) FA disciplinary hearing has been on the radar for the player, the club, supporters and the wider footballing community for nearly a year, since the FA announced they would be charging the West Ham player with with four counts of spot-fixing and two of obstructing an FA investigation.
Paqueta has always denied the allegations.
According to Matt Hughes in the [guardian.co.uk](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/mar/17/lucas-paqueta-faces-biggest-game-of-life-as-spot-fixing-trial-gets-under-way), Paquetá’s estimated three week FA hearing starts – _today_.
The stakes could not be higher. The FA are said to be pushing for a lifetime ban if Lucas Paquetá is found guilty, whilst West Ham would lose £80 million worth of asset from their balance sheets and their most talented player would be history.
One can only imagine the impact on the player himself.
The burden of proof, unlike in a criminal trial, is just on the _‘balance of probability’_ rather than _‘beyond all reasonable doubt’_ which means a much lower threshold for the three man panel who are set to consider evidence presented in a private hearing during the next few weeks.
As the Guardian states, _“Paquetá has cooperated fully with the FA throughout the investigation, handing over phone records, bank statements and his mobile. He was interviewed formally in October 2023 before being charged with four breaches of FA Rule E5 and two of Rule E3. One of the alleged Rule E3 breaches in relation to failure to cooperate is understood to be based on the fact that Paquetá threw away his old mobile after it had been returned to him by the FA, because he had bought a new handset in the interim.”_
More follows when made public.