Paraguayan Football authorities have announced that they will not allow fans to wear Argentina jerseys or those supporting Lionel Messi during Thursday’s match.
The Paraguayan Football Association said that for the upcoming match against the Argentina national team, led by Lionel Messi, entry to the Defensores del Chaco stadium in Asunción will be prohibited for fans wearing jerseys of rival teams or those referring to their players.
The move aims to ensure that the Paraguayan national team has full support during their clash against Albiceleste, part of the South American qualifier. This is not the first time that Guarani football authorities have implemented such a policy.
“We have warned that in the areas reserved for local supporters, we will not allow access to jerseys that do not come from Paraguay or to neutral jerseys, but we will not allow those of the rival team,” clarified Fernando Villasboa, the head of licensing for the Paraguayan Football Association.
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The official pointed out that this same measure was applied on September 10 when Paraguay hosted Brazil in a match that ended in a narrow victory for the Guarani team (1-0) thanks to a solitary goal from Diego Gomez. Similar restrictions were in place during the match against Venezuela (2-1).
This time, the decision of the Paraguayan authorities coincides with the presence of the reigning world champions and their captain, Lionel Messi, who received warm gestures from the fans in the stadiums he visited during these southern qualifiers -Americans.
“This is not a measure against any player; we deeply respect the career of every footballer. It’s just that home advantage is crucial for us,” Villasboa stressed, rejecting any notion that this is a measure against the world football star.
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Fans wishing to wear Argentina jerseys or those of other teams not associated with Paraguay will need to purchase one of the 1,700 tickets available to visiting fans, who will have their designated area within the Defensores del Chaco.
According to Paraguayan football authorities, this measure will continue regardless of the opponent they face, knowing that after the match against Argentina, Chile and Colombia are scheduled to visit Asunción next year.
The Paraguayan national team is currently in good form, remaining undefeated in their last four qualifiers (two wins and two draws), placing them in sixth position in the standings after the first ten matchdays.
