Three Argentina players have been banned for their part in a brawl at the end of last month’s World Cup final against Spain, along with one Spanish player.
Midfielder Leandro Paredes has been hit hardest and given a 10-match ban and a $90,000 ($A125,000) fine by FIFA’s disciplinary committee, while defender Nahuel Molina was given a seven-match suspension and fined the same amount.
Thiago Almada was given a one-match ban and a $30,000 ($A42,000) fine, while Argentina coach Roberto Ayala, who had apologised for his part in the altercation, was banned for three matches and fined the same amount.
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Spain’s Gavi has also been given a one-match ban and a $30,000 ($A42,000).
A brief scuffle erupted at the final whistle when Argentina midfielder Paredes shoved Spain’s Gavi to the ground as the European champions’ substitutes rushed onto the pitch to celebrate.
Paredes faced three assault counts while Molina faced two. Almada and Gavi faced one count each of unsporting behaviour, while Ayala faced one assault count.
Paredes’ ban is the longest in World Cup history, exceeding the nine-week suspension that was handed to Uruguay champion Luis Suarez following his infamous biting incident from 2014.
At the time, former England goalkeeper Joe Hart labelled Argentina’s behaviour “disgusting”.
““There was one man on the pitch who did have class and that was Lionel Messi, who shook hands with every one of those Spanish players,” Hart said.
“The game’s done. They could have absolutely no complaints about what happened today. Disgusting behaviour.”
Argentina’s football association (AFA) has also been fined $321,000 ($A450,000), of which $100,000 ($A140,000) is suspended, in relation to the displaying of a banner at the end of the World Cup semi-final which read ‘Las Malvinas son Argentinas’ which translates as ‘The Falkland Islands are Argentinian’.
The Falkland Islands are a UK overseas territory. In April 1982 Argentinian forces invaded the islands, but were forced to surrender by June of the same year.
FIFA had said using a sports event for demonstrations of a non-sporting nature was a breach of the disciplinary code.
The fine also covered breaches by Argentina supporters of FIFA’s anti-discrimination regulations at other World Cup matches. For the discrimination offences, the AFA has been ordered to play the country’s next home match at 50 per cent capacity, with a 50 per cent capacity restriction at a further match suspended.
The AFA said its legal department would “request from FIFA the grounds for the rulings that are reviewable in order to file appeals before the Appeals Committee of the governing body of world football, leaving in the future the possibility of appealing to the CAS as a last resort” in relation to all the sanctions imposed.
– with Reuters
