The trial involving West Ham midfielder Lucas Paquetá, crucial to the future of his career, will not be concluded before June. The information was released this Monday (7) by The Guardian.
Given this scenario, the hearing, which began on March 17, had an initial deadline of three weeks to announce the result.
However, Paquetá faces accusations from the English Football Association (FA) of involvement in a scheme to favor bettors in Premier League games. In contrast, the Brazilian player categorically denies all accusations.
According to the publication, the complexity of the case prevented the completion of the procedures within the established deadline.
In addition, the lawyers involved will have other commitments, which led to the postponement of the trial. Because of this, the case gained more time to be concluded.
Understand the case
Paquetá faces charges of four breaches of FA Rule E5.1 relating to his conduct at West Ham games. The matches in question are therefore against:
- Leicester, on 12 November 2022,
- Aston Villa on March 12, 2023,
- Leeds United on May 21, 2023,
- Bournemouth on 12 August 2023.
Furthermore, Lucas Paquetá faces two new charges, the English newspaper The Sun reported that he had used another phone while the FA kept possession of the athlete’s “original” cell phone.
Consequently, after returning the cell phone, the Brazilian allegedly discarded the “spare” cell phone. In this sense, this action can be interpreted as obstruction in the investigation and result in two aggravating factors in the complaint.
In his defense, Lucas Paquetá stated: “I am extremely surprised and upset that the FA has decided to charge me. I have cooperated with all stages of the investigation and provided all the information I could.
I deny the allegations in their entirety and will fight with all my might to clear my name. Due to the ongoing litigation, I will not be providing any further comment.”
Possible punishments for Lucas Paquetá
The FA does not specify the range of sanctions for breaches of Rule E5.1 in its disciplinary regulations book. However, in cases of insider trading, punishments can range from a fine and a six-month suspension to a permanent ban from football.
If punished, Paquetá can appeal to the FA and then to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). His cooperation in the investigation could mitigate the punishment, given the FA’s track record in similar cases. That way, he could finish the English season with his club.
