After 714 days, Paquetá clears his name from the "gambling king" allegations.

Written by Han Bing. On July 31, it marked a day of rebirth for Brazilian midfielder Paquetá of West Ham United. After nearly two years of extensive investigation, the FA announced that no penalties would be imposed on Paquetá regarding the betting allegations. This means that Paquetá has finally cleared his name, putting an end to the nightmare of a "lifetime ban" that has haunted him for 714 days. Although he was allowed to continue playing for West Ham and the Brazilian national team during the investigation, his professional career was significantly affected, and more importantly, his transfer opportunity to Manchester City ultimately fell through.

For two years, Paquetá was stuck at West Ham's London Stadium, as no top clubs would take the risk of signing a player who could potentially face a lifetime ban. Now that he has been "vindicated," Paquetá has missed what could have been a decisive transfer opportunity to a big club and might be sold at a low price by financially struggling West Ham, making it difficult for his career to rise again at this prime age. Without this "innocent accusation" that wasted two years of his life, Paquetá should have represented Manchester City in the Club World Cup in the U.S. this summer, enjoying the joy of winning the Premier League title.

Although Paquetá did not face a months-long ban from the FA like Ivan Toney (Brentford) and Sandro Tonali (Newcastle) due to betting allegations, the immense psychological pressure during the two-year investigation made it hard for him to fully engage in matches. In May of this year, after receiving a yellow card in a match against Tottenham, Paquetá was seen in tears, moving West Ham fans. Later, his wife, Maria Fournier, revealed that since the FA's investigation began on August 18, 2023, her husband had been living in fear of a potential lifetime ban, struggling to sleep at night.

Now awakened from the nightmare, Paquetá expresses his unwavering belief in his innocence, with support from his wife, family, and club, finally waiting for the day of rebirth. Although Paquetá will turn 28 on August 27 and can still pursue his dreams of joining a big club, everyone knows he has missed a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity. Two years ago, at the age of 25, Paquetá was in his prime, assisting Jarrod Bowen to score, helping West Ham defeat Fiorentina in Prague to win the UEFA Europa Conference League, ending a 42-year trophy drought for the club.

At that time, Paquetá was not only seen as the future midfield core of the Brazilian national team, but West Ham was also prepared to accept a bid of up to £85 million (€100 million) from Manchester City. However, the FA suddenly launched an investigation into Paquetá for allegedly receiving yellow cards intentionally in four matches, suspecting that his actions might allow friends and family in Brazil to profit from betting. Despite Paquetá denying all allegations, Manchester City had to cancel the deal due to concerns that the Brazilian midfielder could face a lifetime ban. Consequently, then-Brazilian national team coach Diniz temporarily stopped calling up Paquetá, affecting his status in the national team.

In May 2024, the FA formally charged Paquetá with four counts of betting violations, along with two counts of obstructing the FA's investigation. West Ham was furious that the FA took nine months to bring charges after the investigation, and now, the investigation has dragged on for another 14 months only to conclude with Paquetá being found "not guilty," further frustrating the club. The prolonged investigation not only prevented the team's best player from performing at his peak but also caused West Ham to miss out on record transfer fee income.

During the two seasons under investigation, Paquetá's on-field performance noticeably suffered, with his market value dropping from a peak of €65 million to just €28 million now. After finishing 14th last season and missing out on European competitions, West Ham had to sell key players to alleviate financial pressures. Following Paquetá's clearance, both Flamengo and teams from the Saudi league have expressed interest in him, marking a realistic yet disappointing choice for his career after missing golden opportunities.

Four yellow cards suspected of "improper gambling profits" and a lengthy two-year investigation have ruined what could have been a bright star career for Paquetá. Now shedding his heavy psychological burden, the Brazilian midfielder states that this will be the beginning of his "rebirth."