Chelsea wonderkid faces SEVERE punishment over strip club scandal

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 27 Mar 2024 07:58 CDT
• 3 min read

Chelsea wonderkid Kendry Paez faces a significant punishment from the Ecuador FA after allegedly being caught in a strip club while on international duty.

Videos began circulating on social media on Monday showing Ecuador players Robert Arboleda, 32, Gonzalo Plata, 23, and Paez, 16, at a club in New York. The footage is said to have been shot the previous Friday.

The Ecuador FA has already commented on the incident, condemning the actions of the players despite acknowledging that the curfew placed on the squad was “fully complied with”.

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“Given the facts of public knowledge... 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 call-ups,” it stated.

Paez was relegated to the bench for Sunday’s friendly with Italy. The match finished in a 2-0 loss, which was Ecuador’s last before the Copa America begins in the summer.

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Paez banned from Copa America?

Although it is anticipated that Paez will face a lesser sanction than his more senior teammates, the future Chelsea player – he will join up with the Premier League club from Independiente del Valle when he turns 18 in 2025 – could still face a significant punishment.

“Kendry’s situation feels very bad because he is a minor and there’s a lot expected of him,” journalist Sebastien Duenas told Relevo.

“I think he is going to be the one who receives the lightest punishment, although I do expect a certain sentence for him, perhaps suspending him during the Copa America. Something that really serves as a lesson and sets a precedent.”

While Paez could be suspended for some of Ecuador’s Copa America campaign, which begins with a match against Venezuela on 22 June in Santa Clara, California, it is unlikely that he will be banned for the duration of the competition given his status as the country’s brightest young talent.