“The FA will say that they had a duty to investigate. Others will say they were doing the bidding of betting giants - companies that watch every booking, make billions, and face none of the fallout. Either way, the FA are left with a bloody nose.”

How the Brazilian coped with the spectre of a lifetime ban from football after a two-year investigation into alleged spot-fixing

West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta has been cleared of spot-fixing charges by an independent regulatory commission - almost two years after the Football Association launched an investigation into him.