Spain midfielder Gavi has said he does not believe Argentina's Leandro Paredes should be suspended for his role in the ugly confrontation that erupted after the World Cup final, as Fifa opens a disciplinary investigation into the chaos.
The trouble began moments after Spain's 1-0 victory at the New York-New Jersey Stadium, when Paredes grabbed Spain's Eric Garcia by the throat and later pushed Gavi to the turf by putting a hand in his face. Argentina players Nahuel Molina, Thiago Almada and assistant coach Roberto Ayala were also involved, with Almada forcing Gavi to the ground as the Barcelona midfielder tried to intervene.
“Gavi says Leandro Paredes should not be suspended after World Cup final brawl with Spain.”
"I don't think [Paredes] should be suspended," Gavi told El Partidazo de COPE. "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. The most logical thing would have been to send him off during the match, and that's it. In the end, I think it's all football, and it has to be that way."
The incident was initially marked incorrectly on Fifa's commentator information system as a red card for Paredes, but that entry was deleted shortly afterwards. Fifa has confirmed to BBC Sport that no disciplinary action was taken at the time. However, the world governing body has now appointed a disciplinary and ethics prosecutor to assess what happened, and any player or coach involved could face a suspension while the Argentine Football Association could also be fined.
The scenes were a stark echo of the 2006 World Cup final, when France's Zinedine Zidane was sent off for headbutting Italy's Marco Materazzi in extra time. Zidane, who received a three-game ban but retired anyway, later defended his actions, saying he could not regret it because that would mean Materazzi's comments were justified. Materazzi later revealed he had said: "I'd prefer your sister."
For now, Paredes awaits the outcome of Fifa's investigation, with the potential for a lengthy ban that would place him alongside Zidane in the history of World Cup final infamy.