Games involving Castillo may not count
If the Chileans’ allegations turn out to be true, this could possibly have an impact on the World Cup. According to a report in the New York Times, Chile’s complaint is aimed at having FIFA count the eight qualifiers in which Castillo was involved as victories for Ecuador’s respective opponents. With that, Ecuador could lose its spot for the World Cup and Chile could move up.
“Serious irregularities in player registration are unacceptable, especially when it comes to a World Cup“, it said in the message of the Chilean association. “Fair play must prevail on and off the field.“
Association from Ecuador rejects allegations
The actual origin of Castillo has been debated for years. His ex-club Emelec confirmed that he had given up his talent as a youth player because of doubts about his identity. Last year, the Ecuadorian judiciary finally ordered Castillo to be issued a new birth certificate with his place of birth in Ecuador. Only then was he called up for the national squad for the qualifiers for the World Cup in Qatar. “We can’t take any risks in international competitions,” said Carlos Manzur, Vice President of the Ecuadorian Football Association.
The Ecuadorian association rejected the allegations from Chile and spoke of “unfounded rumours”. The World Cup ticket was bought “lawfully on the pitch”. The documents are “proper” and all regulations have been complied with.
Castillo: “Hypocrites and stupid people”
Byron Castillo also responded in an extremely emotional post on Instagram. Castillo complained about “hypocrites”, “stupid people” and “parasites who like to hurt others”. And “now I’m the villain everyone is talking about,” he wrote, ending his attack with a photo showing the Chileans at home on the couch on the day of the World Cup opening game. The TV is on – and Castillo cheers.
Source: sid/dpa