Spain star Gavi has surprisingly leapt to the defence of Leandro Paredes despite being involved in a nasty clash with the midfielder following the World Cup final.
Argentina were so close to retaining their title on Sunday after lifting the trophy in 2022, but were beaten 1-0 by Spain after a tense and scrappy affair.
Lionel Scaloni’s side were aggressive throughout the match, as they had been during their semi-final victory over England, yet things escalated at the end of the game.
Having already had Enzo Fernandez sent off for a wild late challenge on Pau Cubarsi towards the end of normal time, Paredes grabbed Eric Garcia by the throat and pushed Gavi to the ground by putting his hand in the Spaniard’s face.
Nahuel Molina also thumped Rodri in the torso as he was running by to celebrate Spain’s triumph, while Thiago Almada was involved, too.
Paredes even appeared to throw punches during the altercations and Argentina assistant coach Roberto Ayala held Garcia around the throat before he struck Dani Olmo.
Gavi (No 9) leapt to the defence of Leandro Paredes despite their post-World Cup final clash
Paredes was involved in clashes with Spain’s players but Gavi said he shouldn’t face a ban
Then, as the Spanish squad lifted the trophy, Argentina’s players faced away from their opponents in what was viewed by many as a poor show of sportsmanship.
FIFA have since launched an investigation into their behaviour, which could have serious consequences for the players involved.
However, during Spain’s celebrations back home, Gavi was asked for his take on the chaos and left many surprised as he called for leniency towards Argentina’s stars.
‘No, to tell you the truth, I don’t think he (Leandro Paredes) should be suspended,’ he told Spanish radio station 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.’
Paredes was fortunate not to be sent off during the game after committing a series of fouls while he was on a yellow card, and despite some miscommunication, he wasn’t dismissed for his role in the post-match chaos.
Despite Gavi’s words, Argentina’s antics were widely condemned elsewhere, including from BBC Sport’s pundits during their coverage of the game.
Micah Richards said: ‘It’s embarrassing. They were on the cusp every single time. Seeing that sort of stuff after the game was played, it’s not good, it’s embarrassing to be honest.
‘Paredes is better than that. We all know what it’s like to lose a game but this is not good enough.’
Gavi did admit that the full-time scenes on Sunday were ‘not a good image for children’
Fellow BBC pundit Joe Hart added: ‘Disgusting behaviour. There was one man on that pitch with class and that was Lionel Messi.’
Wayne Rooney also gave his views and said: ‘It doesn’t surprise me. We’ve seen this from Argentina before. It’s just sad, very poor from them.
‘If you lose a game of football, be graceful. It’s a reaction to them being outplayed. Enzo Fernandez has got what he deserves.’
Argentina’s players could also face further disciplinary action after FIFA opened an investigation following their semi-final win over England when several of them lifted a controversial banner touting their country’s claim to the Falkland Islands, which read: ‘Las Malvinas Son Argentinas’.
