Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes was handed a 10-match suspension for his role in a post-match brawl after Argentina’s World Cup final loss to Spain, while teammate Nahuel Molina was suspended for seven games, FIFA announced Friday.
A brief scuffle broke out at the final whistle after Paredes shoved Spain midfielder Gavi to the ground as Spain’s substitutes rushed onto the field to celebrate their victory.
Paredes was charged with three counts of assault, while Molina faced two. Both players were also fined $90,000.
Argentina’s Thiago Almada and Spain’s Gavi each faced one count of unsporting behavior, while Argentina assistant coach Roberto Ayala faced one assault count.
Almada and Gavi each received one-match suspensions, while Ayala, who apologized for his role in the altercation, was banned for three games. All three were fined $30,000.
The Argentine Football Association, or AFA, was fined a total of $321,000 for multiple disciplinary breaches during the World Cup, including some players’ display of a banner reading, “Las Malvinas Son Argentinas” (“The Falklands are Argentine”) following their semifinal victory over England.
The AFA was also ordered to play Argentina’s next two home matches with spectators limited to 50% of stadium capacity.
FIFA said using a sporting event for demonstrations of a nonsporting nature was a breach of its disciplinary code.
The fines were imposed for multiple breaches of the disciplinary code, including the use of a sporting event for nonsporting demonstrations, team misconduct, and discriminatory chants and gestures by fans.
“The FIFA Disciplinary Committee further determined that $100,000 of the $321,000 must be invested in a plan to combat discrimination,” FIFA said.
“The implementation of part of the sanction (one of the two matches and $100,000 of the fine) is suspended, with a probationary period to apply.”
The decisions remain subject to appeal, and the AFA said its legal department would request the grounds for FIFA’s rulings before filing an appeal.
The AFA said it was willing to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, sport’s highest court, as a last resort.
Andres Paton Urich, the AFA’s legal manager, told Argentine sports outlet Ole that the association’s efforts were focused on reducing the length of Paredes’ and Molina’s suspensions.
