Ecuador threaten to axe senior stars after they took £17m Chelsea wonderkid Kendry Paez, 16, to New York strip club, where a team-mate threw cash at strippers hours before a game while partying with £115m Moises Caicedo
Ecuador national federation have threatened to axe senior members of their squad after Chelsea’s 16-year-old wonderkid Kendry Paez was taken to a New York strip club during the international break.
Videos emerged on social media on Monday of Ecuador players celebrating in New York in night clubs and bars.
Footage is believed to have been taken following Ecuador’s 2-0 friendly win over Guatemala on Friday.
Chelsea’s £17million signing Paez was among the players to have been spotted by fans in the videos, with the youngster seen signing a shirt in a restaurant.
Another clip showed Chelsea’s £115million signing Moises Caicedo, Jeremy Sarmiento, José Cifuentes, John Yeboah and Willian Pacho celebrating at the TAO restaurant.
Chelsea’s 16-year-old wonderkid Kendry Paez was reportedly taken to a New York strip club by Ecuador team-mates despite being underage
Paez, who was signed by Chelsea for £17m, was unable to attend to the strip club as a minor
Chelsea’s £115m signing Moises Caicedo was among the players pictured celebrating
Caicedo was seen dancing in the video, which displays a sign reading ‘Ecuador in the house’.
Further videos showed Paez attending a strip club with team-mates Robert Arboleda and Gonzalo Plata.
Paez appearance has caused controversy due to the teenager being a minor, with the law banning anyone under the age of 21 from being present.
Sao Paulo’s Robert Arboleda has been criticised with a clip showing the defender seen throwing cash at a stripper in the club, with Paez seen to his right.
Footage of the players partying in New York emerged after Ecuador suffered a 2-0 friendly defeat by Italy on Sunday.
Ecuador’s national federation confirmed that players had been given free time following their win over Guatemala two days earlier.
The federation condemned the footage stating the images have gone against their ‘values and principles’, before warning players have risked future call-ups to the national team.
‘Given the facts of public knowledge, the FEF expresses the following: The official delegation had free time on Friday, March 22, from 2pm to 8.30pm, a schedule that was fully complied with,’ an Ecuador Football Federation statement read.
A clip showed Robert Arboleda holding throwing cash at a stripper in the night club
Paez, right, was pictured alongside team-mate Arboleda, left, while in the New York strip club
‘Images of events contrary to the values and principles that we defend and promote as an institution have been disseminated, which will be the subject of analysis for future calls.
‘We reiterate our commitment to Ecuadorian soccer.’
Arboleda responded to the scandal on social media, declaring ‘From now on on my free days I will just start reading the Bible because one can’t even have fun ohhhhhhhhh I promise.’
His team-mate Plata, who plays for Qatari side Al-Sadd, responded to criticism by writing ‘They don’t like anything, it’s bad to have fun’ in a now deleted post.
Arboleda and Plata have previously been sanctioned by the Ecuador Football Federation over breaches of disciplinary rules.
The duo were among five players suspended by the national team after partying the night before a match with Argentina in 2017.
Arboleda was also involved in a party on the 17th floor of a hotel at the 2019 Copa America.
Plata, a 23-year-old winger, had previously been involved in controversy after injuring two people in a car accident in 2021.
The forward, who played for Real Valladolid in Spain at the time, was found to have been more than twice over the drink drive limit.
Paez has been viewed as a rising star in Ecuador, becoming the national team’s youngest player when he made his debut back in September.
Plata responded to the scandal on Instagram, writing in a now deleted post ‘They don’t like anything, it’s bad to have fun’
The videos were reportedly taken two days before Ecuador’s friendly defeat against Italy
The teenager then scored his first national team goal in October.
Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, Manchester City and several other European clubs scouted him extensively before Chelsea secured his signature, with Paez continuing to learn English ahead of his arrival.
Paez is unable to officially move to Chelsea until he is 18, with the youngster continuing to play with Independiente del Valle.
