Argentina midfielder
Speaking after a match with his club side Boca Juniors, Paredes expressed his frustration regarding the disparity in punishments. He specifically highlighted that Gavi, the Spanish player he accused of striking him in the chest during the incident, received only a one-match suspension. Paredes confirmed that the Argentine Football Association intends to appeal the ruling, expressing hope that the length of the ban could be reduced upon further review.
FIFA Imposes Wide-Ranging Sanctions on AFA
The disciplinary action extends well beyond individual player suspensions. The Argentine Football Association has been hit with a fine of USD 321,000 for multiple breaches of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. These violations include team misconduct, the use of sporting events for non-sporting demonstrations, and incidents involving discrimination and racist abuse. FIFA has mandated that USD 100,000 of this fine must be directed toward anti-discrimination initiatives.
In addition to the financial penalty, the AFA faces restrictions on home matches, with the next two games limited to 50 per cent capacity. However, FIFA noted that a portion of these sanctions, including one of the home-match restrictions and USD 100,000 of the fine, has been suspended under a probationary period.
Individual Player and Official Sanctions
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee also confirmed a series of individual penalties stemming from the final. Alongside Paredes, Argentine defender Nahuel Molina has been suspended for seven matches and fined USD 90,000. Thiago Almada received a one-match ban and a USD 30,000 fine, while team official Roberto Ayala was issued a three-match suspension and a USD 30,000 fine. The Spanish player involved in the altercation, Pablo Martin Paez Gavira, was also handed a one-match suspension and a USD 30,000 fine.
According to the FIFA Disciplinary Code, these suspensions will be applied to the next competitive fixtures for the respective national teams. All parties involved were notified of the decisions on Thursday and have a 10-day window to request a reasoned decision, with the right to appeal the sanctions under Article 61 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.
