While you slept, that 'red card' turned out to be a mistake
The dismissal that the world believed Leandro Paredes had received after the final-whistle brawl was walked back overnight in Japan. FIFA told BBC Sport that the red card supposedly shown by referee Slavko Vincic was an administrative glitch on the official match feed and was later deleted. In other words, no in-match disciplinary action was taken, and Paredes faces no automatic suspension. He is expected to be available for Argentina's September window.
The probe continues, but no extra ban is expected
The brawl broke out right after the final whistle: Paredes grabbed Spain's Eric Garcia by the neck and tangled with Gavi, who tried to break it up, and the dismissal claim spread from there. FIFA has now appointed a disciplinary and ethics prosecutor to look into the post-match incidents themselves and whether the disciplinary code was breached. As of now, however, reporting says no fresh suspension is expected to be imposed on Paredes over this. The full account of the brawl and the FIFA investigation is already covered in a separate article.
For readers in Japan
Japan's next milestone is tomorrow. On 23 July the JFA board is expected to formally confirm Hajime Moriyasu staying on as national-team coach. The deal is reported to be a short one, running only until the Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia early next year, and a third straight term is unusual by world standards. JFA president Tsuneyasu Miyamoto said on the 21st that he hopes to "wrap it up" at the board meeting. The tournament itself has finished its full schedule, and no matches are set from tonight.
Related Links
Links to the official releases and reporting used for this article.
