West Ham United plan to take FA to court over Lucas Paqueta case

The Brazilian has been charged with breaking betting rules by FA.

In an attempt to overturn the FA’s decision to ban Lucas Paqueta from football, West Ham United intend to go legal. The Brazil international, who the FA accused of four charges of betting in May, is facing a life ban.

In an attempt to stop the FA, West Ham are supporting Paqueta and may take the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne.

Given that all of the suspicious bets connected to Paqueta occurred in Brazil, where there is a greater burden of proof in sports disciplinary proceedings, the club are contesting the FA’s jurisdiction.

Additionally, West Ham contend that the FA’s standard for a guilty conviction in disciplinary cases—the balance of probabilities—makes it irrational for a player to lose his career in such a hearing.

The FA’s charge sheet against Paqueta in May contained a recommendation for a life ban. This revelation surprised West Ham and bolstered their resolve to defend Paqueta.

West Ham could also bring FIFA into a legal challenge at CAS, as they would be asked to make a ban apply worldwide if Paqueta was found guilty by the FA, which in most cases is a formality.

After being accused in May, Paqueta is in Brazil. However, he is scheduled to return to West Ham in Tampa the following week as part of their preseason tour of the United States.

The 26-year-old is committed to clearing his name and maintains that he is innocent of all charges.

Due to the intricacy of the case and the challenge of acquiring evidence from Brazil, Paqueta is expected to be available for West Ham for the majority of the season. The hearing is not scheduled to occur until the early part of the next year.

Paqueta left French team Lyon two years ago for a club record £50 million to join the London club. Since then, he has played in 84 games and contributed 13 goals and 14 assists.

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