Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes was welcomed back to Boca Juniors with open arms despite his 'disgraceful' actions in the World Cup final. The 32-year-old trained with his club and reportedly requested to feature in their upcoming game on Thursday.
Return to training
Following Argentina's 1-0 extra-time loss to Spain in Sunday's final, Paredes issued a statement on the World Cup for Argentina but did not apologise for his role in the huge post-match brawl. Despite reports of a cracked rib, he has returned to full training with Boca, though their medical department are expected to carry out additional assessments ahead of a busy run of fixtures.
"Back home. Our captain," Boca Juniors posted on social media with an accompanying photograph of Paredes, a cordial greeting that contrasts sharply with the backlash the midfielder encountered after the final. The club subsequently confirmed he trained as normal and asked to be considered for selection on Thursday, while appearing set to feature in the starting line-up.
Post-match altercation
Paredes was embroiled in a heated post-match altercation with Spain's players, forming part of a wider physical confrontation that also included Argentina team-mates Nahuel Molina and Nicolas Otamendi. Paredes was observed seizing Spain's Eric Garcia by the neck and sending Gavi tumbling to the ground during the melee.
BBC pundit Joe Hart heavily condemned the actions of Paredes and his teammates after the final. He said: "The game's done. They could have absolutely no complaints about what happened today. Disgusting behaviour." Wayne Rooney added: "Does it surprise you? It doesn't surprise me. We've seen this with Argentina before. It's just not the reaction you want. We've seen some of the reaction after knocking England out in the last round. That's just sad. If you lose a game of football, be graceful and get out of there. It's really poor from them."
History of controversy
It was hardly the first occasion Paredes has found himself embroiled in controversy on the football pitch. During the 2022 World Cup quarter-final against the Netherlands, he executed a dangerous late challenge on Nathan Ake before intentionally hammering the ball towards the Dutch bench which saw Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk aggressively bump him to the floor.
