The Ecuador Soccer Federation (FEF) on Monday condemned the behaviour of a number of of its gamers, together with Chelsea-bound teenager Kendry Páez, for going to a strip membership in the course of the worldwide break, however didn’t challenge any punishment.
Video pictures have circulated on social media since Monday displaying Ecuador internationals Robert Arboleda, 32, Gonzalo Plata, 23, and Páez, 16, at a membership in New York.
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The footage is believed to have been taken on Friday, sooner or later after Ecuador’s 2-0 pleasant win over Guatemala in New Jersey.
In one of many clips, São Paulo defender Arboleda is reportedly displaying a wad of greenback payments whereas within the background a stripper is dancing in entrance of Páez, who stays seated subsequent to Al Sadd’s Plata.
The FEF didn’t title the gamers in a press release however mentioned that the squad was given time without work on Friday “between 14:00 till 20:30, which was absolutely complied with.”
It then added: “Given the info of public data… Photographs of occasions opposite to the values and rules that we defend and promote as an establishment have been disseminated, which would be the topic of study for future call-ups.”
The FEF, nonetheless, has not mentioned if the gamers might be punished.
Whereas the episode has prompted a scandal in Ecuador, with Páez a minor, Arboleda resorted to sarcasm and wrote on Instagram tales as reported in El Universo: “Any more, on my days off I’ll learn the Bible as a result of one cannot even have enjoyable…”
Plata wrote on Instagram tales: “They do not like something, it is dangerous to have enjoyable” however deleted the message quickly after.
Ecuador sports activities minister, Andrés Guschmer, says Páez is “very affected” by what has occurred.
“I really feel sorry for him, I spoke to him,” Guschmer mentioned. “Emotionally he is very affected. I informed him, not as a minister however as somebody who is aware of him and cares for him, that you simply study from errors. That he has to re-establish his picture and his skilled function.
“That he can not commit some of these errors as a result of it may be very expensive. He is solely 16. He is enjoying with adults. They make you are feeling like adults and at instances make you do issues which are for adults however he is simply a young person.”
Páez, a midfielder, was on the bench for Thursday’s sport however got here on instead in Sunday’s 2-0 pleasant loss to Italy, Ecuador’s final sport earlier than this summer season’s Copa América.
Chelsea introduced in June 2023 it had reached a deal to signal Páez from Independiente del Valle and that he would be part of the membership when he turns 18 on Could 4, 2025.