So, Lucas Paquetá’s legal team believe their client will be acquitted of any wrongdoing by the FA… I bet they bloody do.
And honestly, can you blame them? With each passing day, the Football Association’s case against West Ham’s playmaker looks more and more flimsy.
Reports of £7 bets and £30 stakes being labelled as “unusually large” have shifted the narrative from sinister cartel operations to pocket change found behind the sofa. No wonder the FA are dragging their heels.
It’s hard to imagine the FA aren’t now questioning the entire foundation of their investigation. Do they really have the evidence to justify pressing charges? From the outside, it doesn’t look like it.
As we detailed yesterday, this case has already had real consequences. Paquetá’s £80 million [transfer](https://www.claretandhugh.info/west-ham-transfer-news/) to Manchester City collapsed due to the ongoing investigation, and West Ham also missed out on a huge payday. If the Brazilian is found innocent, the FA could be liable for tens of millions in compensation—to both the player and the club.
And let’s not forget, their case will likely be subject to the scrutiny of a High Court appeal if it gets that far. At this stage, it’s fair to question how it even got to this stage such is the damage it could cause to the governing body. Who green-lit an 18-month investigation into micro-stakes betting with no concrete evidence linking the player?
It increasingly looks like the FA tried to make an example of West Ham’s record signing—an ill-judged attempt at a ‘zero tolerance’ statement. If so, it’s a move that could backfire spectacularly.
Last season, the FA reported an operating profit of £39 million on a turnover just north of £400 million. That’s not a lot of wiggle room. If they’ve exposed themselves to a potential lawsuit from both [Lucas Paquetá](https://www.claretandhugh.info/lucas-paqueta-bio/) and West Ham United, it could have serious and lasting consequences.
This may turn out to be one of the most expensive miscalculations in the FA’s history.