Spain midfielder Gavi believes Argentina’s Leandro Paredes should avoid suspension for his role in the heated scenes following Sunday’s World Cup final.
Tensions boiled over after Spain defeated Argentina 1-0, with Paredes becoming involved in a confrontation that saw players from both teams pushing and shoving. Paredes then rushed in from behind and collided with Gavi, escalating the incident further.
FIFA has since confirmed that a prosecutor will investigate the post-match scenes.
However, Gavi said he does not believe Paredes deserves a ban, although he acknowledged that the incident was not a good example for young fans.
“I don’t think he should be suspended,” Gavi said. “I understand it’s not a good image for children, but I think there’s also that side to football, which is a bit more physical, more aggressive.”
He added that the appropriate punishment would have been a red card during the match, saying the incident was ultimately part of the intensity of football.
Gavi became involved after trying to intervene in a confrontation involving his Spain teammate Eric Garcia. Paredes was briefly listed as having received a red card for his post-match actions, but the decision was later removed.
Paredes defended his actions, saying the situation became heated after Spain players acted aggressively.
Ferran Torres scored the winning goal in the 106th minute of extra time to give Spain a 1-0 victory and their second World Cup title.
