“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.”

Brazil forward Lucas Paqueta has been cleared of alleged spot fixing after being accused of deliberately receiving yellow cards to influence betting markets.

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