Lucas Paqueta always joked about going on the Brazilian version of Big Brother one day. He loved watching the famous old reality show, a national obsession in his homeland, and was fascinated by the challenges it presented to the contestants locked inside the house’s four walls.
For the past two years, Paqueta has come to know exactly how it feels to have the eyes of the world fixed upon you, passing their judgment on your every move, with seemingly no escape or anywhere to hide.
Ever since Mail Sport broke the news in August 2023 that the West Ham forward was under investigation over whether he deliberately received yellow cards in four Premier League matches to influence betting markets, Paqueta has lived under a cloud of suspicion with his integrity and career on the line. If found guilty, the FA wanted him banned for life.
Paqueta’s wife described it as ‘living a nightmare’. Well, at last, the nightmare is over. Lucas Paqueta is a free man.
Eight agonising weeks after the end of his trial, one that saw former boss David Moyes give evidence in his defence, the bombshell verdict landed at 3pm on Thursday just hours after Paqueta scored West Ham’s equaliser in their pre-season victory over Everton in Chicago.
Lucas Paqueta, cleared of spot-fixing. This is the inside story of what really happened in his two years from hell.
Lucas Paqueta has been cleared of spot-fixing. This is the inside story of his two years of hell
For the past two years, Paqueta has come to know exactly how it feels to have the eyes of the world fixed upon you, passing their judgment on your every move, with seemingly no escape
The verdict landed hours after Paqueta scored for West Ham in a pre-season win over Everton
‘The enemy will come against us one way, but they will flee seven ways,’ Paqueta posted moments after the announcement. ‘Since the first day of this investigation, I have maintained my innocence against these extremely serious accusations. I can’t say anything more now, but I also can’t 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, to the fans who always cheered me on, to Fernando Malta and my legal team at Level (Alastair Campbell, Jonathan Hyman, Dan Lowen), Nick De Marco KC, and Kendrah Potts — thank you for everything.’
Mail Sport understands members of Paqueta’s legal team at London firm Level informed the Brazilian…