Legal: Inside the case that may rock the World Cup’s curtain raiser
Alamy
FIFA’s Appeals Committee hear a case next week, which may see Ecuador kicked out of this year’s finals and Chile take their place if Ecuador player Byron Castillo is found to have been ineligible when playing in World Cup qualifiers.
Chilean FA lawyer tells Off The Pitch about their work to win the case. They hired investigators who went to a church in Tumaco in Columbia and discovered the player’s baptism certificate.
Why it matters: The case casts a harsh light on the grey areas around player documentation and could result in the first ever expulsion of a finalist in World Cup history.
The perspective: Ecuador’s FA carried out a 30 month investigation into forged registrations – “an evil that has affected Ecuadorian soccer for many years” – before allowing Castillo to play for the national team.
12 September 2022 - 10:00 AM
The lawyer representing the Chilean FA (ANFP) in an appeal case that may lead to the South American country being allowed to play in November’s World Cup, has told Off The Pitch that he has filed “a significant amount of evidence” that he believes will see “justice take its course.”
Next Thursday (15 September), FIFA’s Appeals Committee will hear the ANFP’s case, which they believe will see Chile replace Ecuador in the finals.
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