◤FIFA World Cup in Qatar◢ Chilean and Peruvian Football Association reappeal against FIFA's ruling on decision over controversial Ecuador player Byron Castillo..

2022-10-02 18:37

 ◤FIFA World Cup in Qatar◢ Chilean and Peruvian Football Association reappeal against FIFA




The Athletic reported on Saturday, citing Reuters, that the Chilean and Peruvian Football Associations have reappealed FIFA's ruling that Ecuador was not indicted following the scandal for playing the controversial player Byron Castillo to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).


According to reports, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) issued a statement on Friday (September 30, 2022) confirming that they had accepted the Chilean FA's appeal against FIFA's decision to allow Ecuador to continue participating in the World Cup in Qatar, stressing Chile's insistence that Ecuadorian player Castillo is suspected of using a fake passport to play and help the nation qualify through the South American qualifiers of the Qatar World Cup.


Meanwhile, CAS also said they had accepted the Peruvian FA's appeal as well, as they missed the last automatic qualifying spot after finishing fifth in the South American qualifiers and lost to Australia in the qualifying play-offs, thus they believe that it is very unfair that Ecuador, who violated the rules, can still participate in the World Cup in Qatar.


CAS also confirmed that the two FAs unanimously requested that Ecuador be kicked out and banned from the competition in the appeal, and each claimed that they should be the fourth placed team in the South American qualifiers.


At the same time, the Chilean FA also hopes that CAS can make a final decision 10 days before the Qatar World Cup kicks off on November 10.


Ecuador was due to face host Qatars in the World Cup opener.



Background of the controversial player involved


The 23 year old right-back, Byron Castillo claims that he was born on November 10, 1998, in a coastal city in Playas, Ecuador. Currently playing for Leon in the Liga MX, he was dismissed as early as 2015 when he was still in the youth acamdey of a local lower league club in Ecuador for allegedly forging his identity documentation.


In 2017, Castillo, who was originally scheduled to be called up to the Ecuador U20s national team, was banned from playing in the national team after it was revealed that he was actually born in the port city of Tumaco, Colombia, causing huge controversy to ensue. The Ecuadorian FA only allowed Castillo to return to the national team after an investigation and confirmed that he has Ecuadorian nationality.


In May 2022, the Chilean FA publicly accused Ecuador that they have evidence which shows Castillo had not only falsified the fact that he was born in Colombia, but he had even falsified his date of birth. According to the allegations, Castillo is alleged to have been born in July 1995, not November 10, 1998, as he claimed.


However, after half a month's investigation, FIFA hastily concluded the case on June 10 to reject the Chilean FA's allegations and maintain the decision to retain Ecuador's place for the World Cup in Qatar.


At the beginning of September, after obtaining authorization from Spain's MARCA, British outlet Daily Mail released a recording of a controversial self-defense confession that is suspected to be Castillo himself. In the audio clip, Castillo himself admitted to the Ecuadorian FA authorities that the charges filed by the Chilean FA were true, that he was indeed born in Tumaco, Colombia in July 1995, and that he had entered the country illegally. The clip also included a controversial recording in which a person suspected of being the Ecuadorian FA authority assured Castillo that the FA would help him upheld his controversial confession as a secret.


With the release of the recording, the FIFA Appeals Committee immediately re-examined the case, but after the hearing was completed last Thursday, the authorities still upheld the verdict and pointed out that Castillo was able to prove that he had Ecuadorian permanent citizenship documentations.