Chelsea standout Kendry Paez was spotted partying and received a stern warning from the Ecuador national team manager.
What happened? PAEZ found himself for the first time in hot water in March while he, with the members of the senior team
Robert Arboleda and Gonzalo Plata, visited a New York strip club. This raised the eyebrows while Payez, being a minor, was not legally authorized to be
in such a place under American law, which prohibits anyone under the age of 21 from entering these establishments.
The Ecuadorian Football Federation was quick to respond, publicly stating that the players’ behavior went against its
“values and principles” and warning that any future misconduct could lead to the players being banned from the national team.
THE BIG PICTURE
Despite the fallout from the March scandal, Paez has once again found himself in trouble for similar reasons.
Reports have emerged that the young star was spotted partying at a nightclub ahead of Ecuador’s upcoming
international matches. This time, Ecuador head coach Sebastian Beccasese intervened directly, advising Paez to be
more careful about his behaviour off the pitch. In a recent interview with Ecuadorian publication Studio Futbol
(via Daily Mail), Beccaches commented on the situation: “I count on him, but I don’t know what’s going on in social
networks or with his club.” It is my responsibility to recognize this, but my experience with him has made me sympathetic. He is very talented and he
knows he has to learn to deal with it, especially now that he has been sold to a club and is part of the national team. He
was important in daily training. He played a key role in his debut against Brazil, and stood out against Peru with his
long-distance shots and teamwork with Parvis. I’d love to let him play outside, but he’s too old for that. But I looked out
for him and he had respect for us.’ In October 2023, Páez made history when he became the youngest South American
player to score in a World Cup qualifier, aged 16 years and 161 days. His goal against Bolivia, assisted by fellow
Ecuadorian and future Chelsea team-mate Moises Caicedo, further cemented Páez’s status as a rising star in
international football.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR PAES?
Chelsea agreed to sign the midfielder from Independiente del Valle in the summer of 2023 when he was 16 years old,
and he will head to London the following summer when he turns 18. Ecuador’s next two CONMEBOL World Cup
qualifying matches will be against Paraguay and Uruguay on October 10 and 15 respectively.
