The Guardian reports that after three weeks of hearings the Lucas Paqueta spot-fixing case has been adjourned until the summer. The FA's independent panel didn't conclude its proceedings in the three weeks and the lawyers are booked up on other cases until June. In a way this is good news for West Ham as Paqueta will be available for the rest of the season, though he'll be playing under even more stress and some clarity might have helped both club and player.
It also leaves West Ham's transfer plans in disarray as the club has no idea whether a replacement for Lucas is required. It's slightly encouraging that in three weeks the panel hasn't come up with a verdict, suggesting it's complicated. If there was a clear paper or phone trail leading to Paqueta then he would surely have been found guilty by now. And rather like VAR if it's not clear and obvious that Paqueta knew about the bets then he should surely be assumed innocent until proven guilty when his career is at stake.
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