Leandro Paredes has shown his worst side again. During Newell’s Old Boys v Boca Juniors, the much-discussed Argentine caused another fracas with a crazy act.
It was reminiscent of the quarter-final at the World Cup in Qatar, when Paredes smashed the ball into the Netherlands dugout after the whistle in Netherlands v Argentina. That sparked a heated confrontation at the time.
Sunday evening brought more of the same. After the whistle, Paredes again decided to blast the ball hard at an opponent, much to the frustration of the Newell’s players. Several of them angrily charged towards him.
For a moment, a major confrontation looked to be brewing, but Boca team-mates quickly dragged Paredes away and stopped it getting worse. The referee kept it to a yellow card for the Argentine.
The match itself ended 2-2, but Paredes' action dominated the post-match reaction. Criticism of the midfielder poured in on social media as he once again appeared unable to keep his temperament under control.
He was already one of the most talked-about players at the last World Cup and, for the time being, does not appear able to shake off that reputation. After the lost World Cup final, he clashed with Spaniards Eric García and Gavi, whom he bundled to the ground forcefully.
That misconduct had already led to an official FIFA investigation at the time. In addition, he was charged over multiple cases of ‘assault’ (violent behaviour). What punishment Paredes may now be facing remains unclear.