West Ham United star Lucas Paqueta has been cleared of spot-fixing after a two-year investigation by the Football Association.

In August 2023, Mail Sport revealed the FA’s investigation amid suspicions that a player was deliberately receiving yellow cards to manipulate betting markets.

This led to Paqueta being formally accused in May 2024 of four instances of spot-fixing concerning yellow cards in Premier League games against Leicester City, Aston Villa, Leeds United, and Bournemouth. He also faced two additional charges for obstructing an FA inquiry.

This case became one of the most notable corruption accusations in English football history. However, the Brazilian player has now been exonerated from the primary charge. Despite this, the FA indicated that he might still face penalties for “two breaches of FA Rule F3” related to not fulfilling his duty to respond to questions and provide necessary information.

A statement from West Ham conveyed: ‘West Ham United confirms that an independent Regulatory Commission has acquitted Lucas Paquetá of misconduct allegations by the FA concerning breaches of rule E5. The Club has supported Lucas from the beginning of this challenging journey.’

Paqueta posted this picture of him with his wife Maria Fournier after being cleared

Paqueta has been cleared of spot-fixing after a two-year investigation but was found to have not fully complied with the investigation

Paqueta was accused of intentionally receiving yellow cards to manipulate betting outcomes, involving four counts of spot-fixing and two for impeding an FA probe.

West Ham United’s Vice-Chair, Karren Brady, stated: ‘We are relieved Lucas has been cleared. He has claimed his innocence since day one, and as a Club, we have unwaveringly supported him throughout this ordeal.’

‘Despite the incredible pressure on him, Lucas has performed week in and week out for the Club, always giving everything. It has been a difficult time for Lucas and his family, but he has remained absolutely professional throughout and he is now looking forward to drawing a line under this episode, as is everyone at West Ham United.’

And Paquetá himself said: ‘Since the first day of this investigation, I have maintained my innocence against these extremely serious accusations. I can’t say anything more at this time, but I would like to express how grateful I am to God and how eager I am to return to playing football with a smile on my face. 

‘To my wife who never let go of my hand, to West Ham United, to the fans who always cheered me on, and to my family, friends and the legal team who have supported me – thank you for everything.’

He also posted on social media: ‘THE ENEMIES WILL COME AGAINST US BY ONE PATH, BUT BY SEVEN PATHS THEY WILL FLEE. A complete work, for the glory and honour of God.’

The FA released a statement saying: ‘Lucas Paqueta was charged with two breaches of FA Rule F3 in relation to alleged failures to comply with his obligations to answer questions and provide information to The FA’s investigation.

‘Lucas Paqueta denied the charges against him, but the Regulatory Commission found them to be proven following the hearing. The Regulatory Commission will decide an appropriate sanction for these breaches at the earliest opportunity.’

Paqueta could therefore still face some form of punishment as Rule F3 of the FA’s rules of association says: ‘Any failure by a Participant to comply with any requirement under Rule F2 may constitute Misconduct under the Rules and The Association may bring a charge or such charges as it sees fit.’

The announcement of Paqueta’s innocence of the serious charges came just hours after he had broken his social media silence for the first time in six months.

Paqueta broke his social media silence after scoring for West Ham against Everton just hours before the verdict was announced

Despite him being cleared, the process has been of some torment to the Brazilian midfielder 

The Hammers are furious with how the FA allowed their investigation to drag on for so long

The midfielder scored in a friendly against Everton in the US on Wednesday night and celebrated by pointing to the sky before later sharing the image alongside the word ‘God’ and a heart emoji.  

The Hammers have been furious with how the FA allowed their investigation to drag on for so long, leaving Graham Potter’s side unsure about one of their star players until three weeks before the season starting. 

Despite his occasional inconsistency, Paqueta is considered one of West Ham’s best players, as a special type of talent who can turn a game in their favour.

It was his assist for Jarrod Bowen which saw them beat Fiorentina in the Conference League final in Prague in June 2023, marking their first major trophy in 43 years.

His manager for that triumph was David Moyes, the now-Everton boss who Mail Sport revealed even acted as a witness in a significant section of his defence against the FA’s claims.

Sources close to Paqueta say it has been a tormenting time for him personally. The yellow he received against Leicester, on November 12, 2022, was nearly 1,000 days ago. 

Ever since learning that he was being investigated, the 27-year-old strenuously insisted he is innocent and West Ham have supported him through it all. 

West Ham will be delighted to put the saga behind them so Graham Potter and Co can move on

Paqueta pictured at West Ham’s London Stadium with his wife Maria , who admitted the couple have been ‘living this nightmare for two years’ in an emotional statement in May

The standard of proof was based on a ‘balance of probabilities’ – as in civil law cases – as opposed to the more rigorous ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’ threshold in criminal proceedings.

Paqueta has been a key player for West Ham since signing from Lyon for a club-record £51million in 2022. 

He was all set to sign for Manchester City in £80m move in 2023 until it emerged that he was being investigated due to suspicious betting patterns surrounding his bookings. 

It is understood West Ham passed that information to City, who withdrew their interest.

The Hammers are now willing to sanction an exit for Paqueta at a fee of around £30m and Brazilian side Flamengo are among those interested.