West Ham told to appeal rotten FA decision amid ‘points deduction’ claim
West Ham have been told to consider legal action against the Football Association (FA) after Lucas Paqueta’s spot-fixing case.
The 27-year-old was facing a lifetime ban after being accused of picking up bookings for the purpose of financial gain four separate times between November 2022 and August 2023.
However, after a case that dragged on for almost two years, Paqueta was found not guilty by an independent commission.
The Hammers star has been open about the mental toll the situation has taken on him, due to the uncertainty around his future in football.
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that Paqueta and West Ham should consider trying to get some compensation from the FA.
‘West Ham have lost out on £80m’
This article contains exclusive comment from Keith Wyness, former Everton, Aston Villa, and Aberdeen CEO.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness insisted that West Ham have lost out on a big sum of money because of the case.
Two years ago, just before the allegations came out, there were rumours that Manchester City wanted to pay £80million to secure Paqueta.
Wyness added that it’s never a good look for a club to be taking action against a governing body, but the FA need to be put in their place.
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “Well, everybody’s waiting to get the reasoning behind the judgment. I think only then can they decide whether there is a legal case or not.
“We’ll all be interested to see the written reasoning behind it. Normally, those written reasons are there to try and stop any legal action being taken. But, if you remember, in some of these points deduction situations, we’ve seen appeals have actually overturned the decision.
“Things can be done, and I personally would hope that either the player or West Ham take action. West Ham have had a loss in terms of the way that this asset they’ve got as a player could have been sold. So I’ll wait and see.
“It’s never a good look for a club to take legal action against the governing body, but nevertheless, as we get into bigger and bigger numbers, it’s got to be considered. I think the FA needs to be put in its place about the way these things are handled.”
West Ham make last-minute goalkeeper U-turn
Meanwhile, John Victor’s proposed move to West Ham is now off after they pulled the plug on it, sources have told Football Insider.
The Hammers have instead confirmed the signing of Leicester City goalkeeper Mads Hermansen, who impressed in the Premier League last season despite his side’s relegation.
Victor was waiting for the green light to travel to London for his medical, with the deal agreed between both clubs, only for West Ham to pull out at the eleventh hour, leaving the player stranded in limbo.
A source close to the deal said: “The way West Ham have conducted themselves in all of this is nothing short of disgraceful. The player has been left stranded, waiting to travel to finalise the move.
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