There is a strange mixture of relief, tension, excitement and trepidation in the air around West Ham today.
That’s after it was claimed the Lucas Paqueta verdict is finally going to be revealed, nearly two years on from the start of the saga.
When the investigation into yellow cards received by Paqueta was launched in August 2023, it brought West Ham United crashing down from a wave of positivity in the wake of winning their first major trophy for 43 years.
Paqueta was the man who provided the exquisite killer through-ball to set Jarrod Bowen clear in the final minutes as the Hammers beat Fiorentina 2-1 in Prague.
The assist was a thing of Brazilian beauty.
Paqueta came crashing down after golden West Ham assist
Paqueta had tried 100 or more of those passes in his time at West Ham leading up to that point.
Few had been successful, often to the frustration of percentages manager David Moyes.
But it was all worth it for that one golden moment as Paqueta nonchalantly rolled his studs over the ball in the centre circle before setting Bowen on his way to West Ham immortality.
News of the investigation into four bookings received by Paqueta, and allegations they were deliberate to influence betting markets, collapsed an £80m move to Man City that was well down the road.
A move that would also see Cole Palmer join West Ham for £30m in the other direction – as confirmed since by both Moyes and Hammers vice-chair Karren Brady.
Palmer ended up going to Chelsea and cementing his place as one of the best young players in world football.
Meanwhile Paqueta, with the black cloud of uncertainty hanging over his head, has never been the same since.
In truth neither have West Ham United.
Despite a strong first half of that next season, the wheels fell off and Moyes, Julen Lopetegui and now Graham Potter have struggled to keep the Hammers train on the tracks.
Just 15 wins from 57 Premier League games since December 29th 2023 tells its own story.
So did Paqueta’s tears when he was booked in the game against Spurs towards the end of last season.
West Ham’s new doubt on Paqueta case with verdict ‘imminent’
The FA’s spot-fixing case had resumed in the run up to that clash and it finally took its toll on Paqueta for all to see.
This morning Hammers News reported on claims West Ham’s Paqueta verdict is imminent.
But a new response from the Hammers’ hierarchy has sparked fresh concerns over a resolution.
West Ham have cast new doubt on the Paqueta case with the verdict reportedly ‘imminent’.
Overnight, Hammers insider Sean Whetstone – a close confidant of West Ham majority owner David Sullivan – wrote an open letter to the FA demanding a date be announced for the Paqueta verdict.
Hammers News, Whetstone and ExWHUemployee were informed the Paqueta verdict is now due on Friday July 25th.
Hammers News put that new information to the top spokesman for West Ham’s owners this morning, asking whether that was also the club’s understanding of the situation.
It was put to the spokesman for West Ham’s board that today was reportedly judgement day for Paqueta – stating we, like everyone else connected with the club, had our fingers crossed for a positive outcome.
Hammers have little faith left in FA process
The response will leave West Ham fans pulling their hair out.
And it shows how little faith there is in the FA in the corridors of power at the London Stadium.
“Who knows with FA, the Paqueta verdict could still be weeks away,” the most senior spokesman for West Ham’s owners exclusively told Hammers News on Friday.
Now that does not mean to say the verdict won’t be today of course.
West Ham will not necessarily be privy to the exact timing of any announcement of a judgement handed down by the independent three-person panel.
Although the club is expected to be given a short embargo period before any official FA announcement in order to formulate their own reaction and statement on their media channels.
