Lucas Paqueta is set to be free to continue his career with the ruling in his betting charges case predominantly going his way, Sky Sports News understands.
The final verdict in the West Ham midfielder’s protracted case is imminent. The judgement has been relayed to all interested parties and is due to be released shortly by the Football Association.
The FA was seeking a lifetime ban for Paqueta, whose case was heard by an independent regulatory commission.
Sky Sports News has contacted the FA, West Ham and Paqueta’s legal team but all have declined to comment.
Paqueta has been under investigation since August 2023. The Brazil international was charged with breaching betting rules in May 2024 and the hearing began in March this year.
Paqueta was accused of committing spot-fixing offences in four Premier League matches – against Leicester in November 2022, Aston Villa in March 2023, Leeds in May 2023 and Bournemouth last August.
The 27-year-old also faced two further charges of obstructing an FA investigation.
Paqueta did not place any bets and denied any wrongdoing.
The bets in question are believed to have been placed by friends and family, with around 60 bets in total for relatively small stakes.
In a statement after he was hit with the charges, Paqueta said: “I am extremely surprised and upset that the FA has decided to charge me.
“For nine months, I have cooperated with every step of their investigation and provided all the information I can.
“I deny the charges in their entirety and will fight with every breath to clear my name. Due to the ongoing process, I will not be providing any further comment.”
