The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has decided to impose sanctions of ten match suspensions on Leandro Paredes, seven on Nahuel Molina, one on Thiago Almada, three on Roberto Ayala, and one on Pablo Martín Páez ‘Gavi’ for the incidents that occurred after the final of the United States, Mexico, and Canada World Cup, in which the Spanish national team won 1-0 against Argentina.
Likewise, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) has been fined 321,000 dollars under various articles of the FIFA Disciplinary Code for incidents in different matches of the tournament.
Additionally, the Argentine national team will have to face the next two home matches with spectator restrictions (50%).
According to a statement from the world football governing body after “conducting a thorough analysis” of the cases in question, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, which opened a disciplinary procedure on July 29 for the events that took place at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey (United States), decided to sanction the Argentine players Paredes with 10 match suspensions and a fine of 90,000 dollars; Molina with seven and the same amount; and Thiago Almada with one and 30,000.
Additionally, former footballer Roberto Ayala, a member of Lionel Scaloni’s coaching staff, will have to serve three matches and also pay 30,000.
In Spain, Gavi received a one-match suspension and a fine of 30,000 dollars.
All of them must serve the penalty in the following matches of the national teams.
Why these sanctions?
After the match between both teams ended, with the title for ‘La Roja’ thanks to Ferran’s goal in extra time (1-0), there were various scuffles.
Paredes and Almada behaved unsportingly with the Spaniard Eric García and when Gavi went to defend his teammate he was knocked down by the Argentines, while Molina punched Rodri Hernández in the torso as he was running celebrating the title and Ayala also punched Dani Olmo.
Likewise, the AFA is fined 321,000 dollars “for violating article 13, section 2 c) (using a sporting event to make statements of a non-sporting nature) (displaying a banner stating that the Malvinas are Argentine), article 14, section 5 (misconduct of a team), article 15 (Discrimination and racist aggression), for the discriminatory chants and gestures of its fans, and article 17 (Order and security at matches) of the Disciplinary Code”.
“Furthermore, given the provisions associated with the violation of article 15 of the CDF, the AFA has been ordered to play the next two home matches with spectator restrictions (50%)“, adds FIFA, whose decision also includes that “100,000 USD of the 321,000 USD fine must be invested in a plan to fight discrimination; part of the sanction (one match and 100,000 USD of the fine) is suspended and a probation period is applied”.
These decisions of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee were notified to the parties this Friday, who have ten days to request the reasoned decision, which will be published on legal.fifa.com if requested and can be appealed, according to article 61 of the Disciplinary Code.
EFE