The FA has been criticised for an ‘obvious flaw’ in the Lucas Paqueta spot-fixing investigation.

The regulatory commission that exonerated Lucas Paquetá of spot-fixing charges has heavily criticized the Football Association for failing to conduct an independent evaluation of the betting data around the West Ham receiving yellow cards.

The FA charged Lucas Paqueta with spot-fixing back in May 2024 after a 10-month investigation into bookings he received in four Premier League matches. However, commission concluded there was no evidence of corruption and that the unusual betting patterns were more likely explained by the “rather random passing of ‘hot tips’ or perceived ‘inside information’ within Brazil than a spot-fix”.

This was according to a 314-page report by the commission that heard Paquetá’s case was published on Wednesday. The report was damming reading for the FA, its evidence was criticised for containing “an obvious flaw, namely the lack of an independent assessment of the data”.

This has led to talk that both West Ham United and Lucas Paqueta could look to sue the FA. The player missed out on a dream move to Manchester City that would have benefitted him massively financially, while West Ham lost out on a £85 million. However, it remains to be seen whether or not both parties want to go through another long and expensive legal process.