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Lucas Paqueta has avoided a fine despite being found guilty of not cooperating with an FA spot-fixing investigation in part because of concerns about the West Ham star’s mental health. An independent regulatory commission said that Paqueta, who was cleared of spot-fixing earlier this year, would typically have been fined but that “the truly exceptional circumstances of this case justify a departure from the level of sanction which a participant should ordinarily expect”. Instead it reprimanded the 28-year-old and ordered him to pay 10 per cent of costs. It cited a number of factors in mitigation, including that the Brazil midfielder ultimately agreed to answer questions before being charged and the mental toll of seeing a transfer to Manchester City collapse amid serious doubts over his future career. “The impact, both financial and in relation to his career, of the collapse of the likely transfer to Manchester City is a factor which we take into account, together with the impact of the proceedings on the mental health of the player and his immediate family, and relationships with his wider family,” the commission said in its written reasons, published today. “The nature of the allegations in the [spot-fixing] charges was extremely serious, as is apparent from what we say in the Liability Decision. We recognise that an element of the mental stress suffered by the player included his realisation that, had the charges been found proved, his footballing career would almost certainly have come to an end.” Paqueta yet to rule out suing FA for damages Other mitigating aspects the commission cited were Paqueta’s limited grasp of English making him more reliant on the legal advice of lawyers appointed by West Ham, and the lack of any major blemishes on his disciplinary record previously. Paqueta had established himself as one of the Premier League’s hottest properties, following a £50m move from French side Lyon in 2022, when the investigation began a year later. Its emergence torpedoed talks over an £80m switch to Manchester City, who had recently completed a historic treble including their first Champions League title. His form has suffered since the probe started and, although it has improved this season, remains short of the heights of his debut season with the Hammers. Publication of the written reasons brings to an end a disciplinary process that lasted more than two years and has caused significant embarrassment for the FA. The commission’s ruling on the spot-fixing charges criticised the FA’s legal approach, calling aspects of it “concerning” and “obviously flawed”. It is understood that Paqueta has not yet ruled out bringing a claim for damages against the FA following his exoneration on the most serious charges.
