Ecuador’s National Federation has threatened to sack senior members of its squad after 16-year-old Chelsea prodigy Kendry Páez was taken to a New York strip club during the international break.
Videos emerged on social media on Monday of Ecuadorian players celebrating in New York at nightclubs and bars.
The images are believed to have been taken after Ecuador’s 2-0 friendly victory over Guatemala on Friday.
Chelsea signing Paez for £17million was among the players spotted by fans in the videos, with the youngster seen signing a shirt in a restaurant.
Another clip showed Chelsea’s £115m signing Moisés Caicedo, Jeremy Sarmiento, José Cifuentes, John Yeboah and Willian Pacho celebrating at the TAO restaurant.
Kendry Páez, the 16-year-old Chelsea prodigy, was allegedly taken to a New York strip club by teammates from Ecuador despite being underage.
Páez, who was signed by Chelsea for 17 million pounds, was unable to attend the strip club as a minor.
Chelsea’s £115m signing Moisés Caicedo was among the players pictured celebrating
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Caicedo was seen dancing in the video, which shows a sign that says ‘Ecuador in the house.’
Other videos showed Páez attending a strip club with his colleagues Robert Arboleda and Gonzalo Plata.
Páez’s appearance has caused controversy because the teenager is a minor, since the law prohibits the presence of minors under 21 years of age.
Sao Paulo’s Robert Arboleda has come under fire for a clip showing the defender throwing cash at a stripper in the club, with Páez to his right.
Images of players celebrating in New York emerged after Ecuador suffered a 2-0 friendly defeat to Italy on Sunday.
Ecuador’s national federation confirmed that the players had had time off following their victory over Guatemala two days earlier.
The federation condemned the images, stating that they went against its “values and principles”, before warning that the players 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 2 to 8:30 p.m., a schedule that they fully complied with,’ reads a statement from the Ecuadorian Federation of Soccer.
One clip shows Robert Arboleda holding and throwing cash at a stripper at a nightclub.
Páez, right, was photographed alongside teammate Arboleda, left, while at 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 football.’
Arboleda responded to the scandal on social media, declaring: “From now on on my days off I will start reading the Bible because one can’t even have fun ohhhhhhhhh, I promise.”
His teammate Plata, who plays for Qatari side Al-Sadd, responded to the criticism by writing “They don’t like it at all, it’s bad to have fun” in a now-deleted post.
Arboleda and Plata have already been previously sanctioned by the Ecuadorian Football Federation for failure to comply with 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 América.
Plata, a 23-year-old winger, had already been involved in controversy after injuring two people in a car accident in 2021.
The striker, who was playing for Real Valladolid in Spain at the time, was found to be more than twice the blood alcohol limit.
Páez has been seen as a rising star in Ecuador, becoming the youngest player on the national team when he debuted in September.
Plata responded to the scandal on Instagram, writing in a now-deleted post ‘They don’t like it at all, it’s bad to have fun.’
The videos would have been taken two days before Ecuador’s friendly defeat against Italy.
In October, the teenager scored his first goal for the national team.
Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, Manchester City and several other European clubs scouted him extensively before Chelsea secured his signature, and Páez continued to learn English prior to his arrival.
Páez will not be able to officially move to Chelsea until he is 18 years old, and the youngster will continue playing with Independiente del Valle.