Argentina star banned for TEN matches following World Cup final brawl

News

FT Desk

Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes has been banned for 10 international matches for his part in the World Cup final brawl against Spain in July.

La Roja had just beaten Argentina 1–0 to win the World Cup after Ferran Torres scored in extra time. As Spain's players and substitutes came onto the pitch to celebrate, tensions suddenly escalated between the two teams.

Paredes became involved in the confrontation with several Spanish players, including Gavi and Eric García. There was pushing and physical contact, with the situation developing into a larger brawl involving players from both sides.

Paredes was subsequently shown a red card for his involvement after the final whistle. Now, FIFA has handed him a 10-match suspension and a $90,000 fine.

He's not the only one to be given retrospective punishment, however.

Nahuel Molina, Thiago Almada and team official Roberto Ayala have been given seven, one and three-match suspensions, respectively, with their fines amounting to $150,000

On the Spanish side, Gavi has been suspended for one game and fined $30,000 for his part in the melee.

The Argentine FA was fined $110,000 for a number of incidents during the World Cup, most notably the players carrying a political banner about the Falkland Islands after the semi-final win against England.

The federation can appeal the suspensions and fines to FIFA, and likely afterwards to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

"The AFA legal department will, in a timely manner, request from FIFA the grounds for the reviewable rulings in order to file appeals with the governing body's appeal committee, while retaining the future option of appealing to the CAS as a final recourse," they said in a statement.

The punishment for Paredes is the harshest in the World Cup since Luis Suarez was banned for four months for biting Giorgio Chiellini on the shoulder.

His 10-match suspension is the same length as the ban imposed on Croatia’s Josip Simunic in 2013. Simunic received the punishment after Croatia secured a place at the World Cup through a qualifying playoff.

Following the victory, he took a megaphone and led supporters in chanting a slogan associated with Croatia’s pro-Nazi regime during World War II.