‘No disrespect to West Ham’ – Lucas Paqueta’s legal rep shares next steps in legal battle
Lucas Paqueta is considering his options at West Ham after being cleared of any charges from the Football Association.
West Ham star Paqueta wasn’t guilty of alleged betting breaches that took place between November 2022 and August 2023.
The FA have since published a document about Paqueta’s case spanning 314 pages, explaining the verdict surrounding the Brazil international away from the London Stadium.
This played a key role in ending Paqueta’s hopes of joining Manchester City, remaining in East London to the present day to feature under Graham Potter.
With that being said, his gripes against the FA may be set to resurface as Paqueta assesses his next steps ahead of a potential new legal case.
Lucas Paqueta considering legal battle against the FA
There is no getting away from the trouble and the damage to reputation that this ordeal has had on the attacking midfielder in E20.
Despite Paqueta showing his best for West Ham against Nottingham Forest, these sorts of performances have been few and far between in claret and blue.
This has been largely due to the fact that the former Lyon man has struggled mentally with the toll that this scandal would take on anybody.
As a result, it was a huge weight off the shoulders of the Brazilian to learn of his innocent verdict over the summer.
This could prompt a fresh battle with the FA, as Paqueta could sue for the problems that this has caused for his footballing career in the past two years.
As a result, the head of the Irons’ star’s legal team, Alastair Campbell, has spoken out via talkSPORT on 4 September to reveal the next steps for the number 10.
He said: “I can’t say anything more right now than that it’s under consideration. He’s obviously very upset at what he’s lost and is considering his options at the moment.
“He’s had this hang over him for two years, and it’s really affected him mentally, on and off the pitch. To have that cloud lifted it feels like he’s got a lot of freedom.
“I think it’s [a case against the FA] certainly worth looking at. The ultimate decision will be up to Lucas, and at the moment, his focus is on football, playing for Brazil and playing for West Ham. What he’s lost is more than finance, it’s opportunity.
“As I say, he’s very upset with the whole episode, but it’s not about money for Lucas. You can’t sue the FA to force through a move that never happened or provide him with a trophy that he never won before that move collapsed. No disrespect to West Ham, he loves the club, but he was very close to a move.”
Lucas Paqueta must now focus on West Ham
It is clear that a scuppered move to Manchester City is of huge frustration to the 28-year-old, but he can’t let that impact his career right now.
This is especially the case after such a special performance in claret and blue against Nottingham Forest alongside Jarrod Bowen, Callum Wilson and Crysencio Summerville.
| Stat vs Nottingham Forest | Lucas Paqueta |
| Goals | 1 |
| Shots | 3 |
| Chances created | 2 |
| Successful dribbles | 3 |
| Duels won | 11 |
| Defensive actions | 7 |
Whether this legal case could be revisited in the future or not, Potter and Co. will be hoping that it won’t kick off in the near future and impact his form any further.
Ultimately, it is down to Paqueta and what he thinks is best for his life and his career after such a tough time in recent years.
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