Betting charge hearing of West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta is set to begin this month as the FA seeks a lifetime ban on Brazilian.
The West Ham man was charged with breaching betting rules in last year May. The 27-year old will face a three-week hearing in England’s court system this month.
The hearing will be one of the longest court proceedings in the history of the FA who is fighting for a lifetime ban for the midfielder.
Paqueta was charged with spot-fixing offences in four Premier League matches. The Brazil international denies any wrongdoing but the Football Association has charged him in relation to his conduct in matches against Leicester in November 2022, Aston Villa in March 2023, Leeds in May 2023 and Bournemouth last August.
The FA charges from 2024 state that Paqueta tried to “influence the progress, conduct, or any other aspect of, or occurrence in these matches by intentionally seeking to receive a card from the referee for the improper purpose of affecting the betting market in order for one or more persons to profit from betting.”
Paqueta was also charged with two breaches of FA Rule F3 in respect of alleged failures to comply pursuant to FA Rule F2, which relates to providing information and documents.
In a statement at the time 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.”
