On Friday, FIFA announced the suspension of three players from Argentina, including a significant 10-match penalty for midfielder Leandro Paredes, due to his actions against Spanish players following their defeat in the World Cup final.
Paredes, who was seen grabbing Spain’s Eric Garcia by the throat and pushing Gavi to the ground, received a ban that is now regarded as one of the harshest in World Cup history, comparable to the sanctions imposed on Uruguay’s Luis Suarez in 2014.
Defender Nahuel Molina received a seven-match suspension, while Thiago Almada faced a one-match ban. In addition, FIFA levied fines of $90,000 on both Paredes and Molina, and a $30,000 fine on Almada.
Paredes’ suspension effectively removes him from the Argentina national team for a year, as the FIFA schedule indicates that there are 10 matches planned through June 2027.
All scheduled matches could be friendlies, as there are currently no competitive fixtures lined up.
Gavi also suspended for match against England
Similarly, Gavi has been suspended for one match, specifically for Spain’s Nations League encounter against England at Wembley on September 26.
Roberto Ayala, an Argentine coach, was also penalized with a three-match suspension and a $30,000 fine.
The Argentine Football Association (AFA) faced a fine of $110,000 due to various incidents during the World Cup, which included players displaying a political banner regarding the Falkland Islands following their semifinal victory over England, along with discriminatory chants from fans.
Additionally, FIFA mandated that the AFA allocate $100,000 towards anti-racism initiatives. Argentina was awarded $34 million in prize money from FIFA for their performance in the World Cup.
Argentina likely to contest the bans
The AFA has the option to appeal against the extended bans and fines to FIFA, and potentially to the Court of Arbitration for Sport afterwards.
In a statement, the federation remarked, “The AFA legal department will timely seek the basis for the reviewable decisions from FIFA to pursue appeals with the governing body’s appeals committee, while keeping the option to appeal to CAS as a last resort.”
Comparisons to Suarez and Simunic sanctions
Back in 2014, Luis Suarez was banned from all soccer for four months, which included his time with Barcelona, along with an additional eight-match suspension for Uruguay after he bit Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini during a World Cup group match in Brazil.
Paredes’ 10-match suspension is on par with the 2013 ban of Josip Simunic from Croatia, who was penalized after leading fans in chants associated with the pro-Nazi regime during World War II using a megaphone following a World Cup qualifying playoff.
The altercations during last month’s final in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which FIFA categorized as assault incidents, took place after Argentina lost a contentious match to Spain, where they struggled to create scoring opportunities.
Ferran Torres of Spain netted the sole goal in the second half of extra time, following the sending-off of Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez.
FIFA disciplinary authorities have ordered Argentina to host their next home match in a stadium with a capacity restricted to 50%. A second sanction regarding the stadium and an additional fine of $100,000 have been deferred for probationary periods.
