Official: Paquetá found not guilty in case of deliberate yellow cards

The Football Association has put an end to the long-running case against West Ham midfielder Lucas Paquetá. The verdict is certainly one the player will welcome.

Details: The regulatory commission found no evidence of Paquetá violating rules related to match event manipulation—specifically, the alleged deliberate collection of four yellow cards in Premier League matches that were subject to betting.

However, the Brazilian was found guilty of breaching regulations concerning his responsibilities as a participant in the investigation. This included failing to provide relevant information and refusing to fully cooperate with the Association. At the time, it was reported that Paquetá did not hand over his old phone to investigators, which was viewed as evasion of the inquiry.

The regulatory commission will decide on these breaches later, but any sanctions are expected to be minor—most likely a fine. The costs of Paquetá’s defense, estimated at around one million pounds, may potentially be covered by the Association.

Reminder: It was previously reported that, following the FA’s favorable decision, West Ham are now more inclined to sell Paquetá.