David Moyes is expected to act as a key witness for Lucas Paqueta’s defence in his ongoing FA spot-fixing trial, according to the Daily Mail.
The FA made an official announcement that they charged the 27-year-old with misconduct in relation to alleged betting breaches in May 2024, which concerns four yellow cards he picked up between November 2022 and August 2023.
Paqueta’s charges have been well documented since, but Monday marked the start of his court hearing, forcing the midfielder to miss out on international duty with Brazil.
The trial is expected to last three weeks in what is one of the longest court proceedings in FA’s history, and if found guilty the Brazilian could face a lifetime ban from English football.
Moyes’ defence of Lucas Paqueta likely to frustrate Hammers fans
Former West Ham boss David Moyes is set to defend his former star man in court, which is in relation to the yellow card Paqueta picked up in West Ham’s 1-1 draw at Bournemouth on 12 August 2023.
The early stages of the 2023/24 season saw reports suggesting Manchester City were looking to sign Paqueta for a deal potentially worth up to £80 million.
It is reported that the Brazil international wanted to make this deal happen and asked his former boss whether he could miss out on the Hammers’ trip to the Vitality as he didn’t want to jeopardise the transfer.
The Scotsman denied Paqueta’s request and played him for nearly the entirety of the game before substituting the player deep into stoppage time, just after receiving the yellow card in question.
Due to the Brazilian’s desire to not feature in the game, Moyes will defend the midfielder against the spot-fixing allegations arguing that the yellow card can’t have been planned if he had no intention to play.
While this provides a compelling defence for the Brazilian, tension will likely remain between the West Ham camp and Lucas Paqueta as the hearing continues, and this shocking revelation about his desire to force a move away from the club will leave Hammers fans frustrated and questioning his commitment.