Enough Is Enough: FA Delay Leaves Paquetá and West Ham in Limbo.
Lucas Paquetá will have to wait to find out his fate, it was established today. ExWHUEmployee broke the story on Monday, claiming that West Ham were aware the Football Association had reached a decision on the midfielder’s alleged betting violations. A source close to the player confirmed this news to Claret and Hugh, and national newspapers are now reporting the same thing: the Lucas Paquetá trial is concluded, but everyone will have to wait for the verdict and potential sentence. The length of time West Ham and Paquetá will be held on tenterhooks seems to vary from 4 to 8 weeks, but either way, the delay feels totally unnecessary.
While the FA has every right to investigate alleged rule violations, they also owe a duty of care to all footballers in England, from grassroots youngsters to Premier League stars. And in the case of Paquetá, there is a player who is straining to deal with the weight of two years of ambiguity surrounding the investigation. It’s unclear why the entire sordid story has lasted two years. However, it is safe to infer that this was not the “slam dunk” case that the FA had hoped for. If 24 months isn’t enough time to assess and decide on a plan of action, it’s hard to imagine that a few more weeks will make much of a difference.
Paqueta wipes the tears from his eyes during the Spurs game. Paquetá and West Ham are now trapped in a scenario in which the likelihood of probability has supplanted the legal norm of beyond reasonable doubt. When you consider that the FA has established their own panel to oversee and adjudicate the proceedings, we have a situation in which the prosecutors serve as judge, jury, and executioner. West Ham remain in a position of transfer uncertainty, unsure whether our record signing is a viable asset – and the player himself faces a potential lifetime ban. For goodness sake, could someone at St George’s Park please make a choice and put everyone out of their misery?
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