West Ham United is preparing to take legal action against the English Football Association (FA) in response to their decision to impose a lifetime ban on midfielder Lucas Paquetá.
The FA accused Paquetá of involvement in betting fraud, bringing four charges of match-fixing against him in May. The FA also recommended a lifetime ban as punishment.
This decision took West Ham United by surprise. The club has vowed to fully support Paquetá, aiming to challenge the charges and prevent the ban.
West Ham United argues that the FA lacks jurisdiction over the matter, as all suspicious betting activities linked to Paquetá occurred in Brazil. The club claims that Brazilian law requires a higher standard of evidence in such disciplinary cases.
Furthermore, West Ham contends that using a balance of probability standard to potentially end a player's career is unjust.
Should the FA convict Paquetá, West Ham United may escalate the case to FIFA, seeking to prevent a global ban. Given the case's complexity and the need for evidence from Brazil, a hearing may not take place until next year. Meanwhile, Paquetá is expected to continue playing for West Ham.
Paquetá, who maintains his innocence, is determined to clear his name. Currently, he is preparing for international duty with Brazil but will soon join West Ham's pre-season tour in the United States.
Paquetá joined West Ham United two years ago from Lyon for a fee of £50 million. Since then, he has scored 13 goals and provided 14 assists in 84 appearances. Last summer, he was close to a £85 million transfer to Manchester City, but the deal ultimately fell through.
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