Ecuador issue sassy response after keeping place at World Cup

Published 16:41 10 Jun 2022 BST

Callum Boyle

Ecuador issue sassy response after keeping place at World Cup

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Rubbing salt in the Chilean wounds

Ecuador produced the sassiest of responses just moments after they found out that they wouldn't be kicked out of the upcoming World Cup. The South American nation were at the centre of an investigation after the Chilean Football Federation appealed for FIFA to investigate the eligibility of Byron Castillo.

Chile claimed that Castillo had used a fake passport to qualify for Ecuador

Chile claimed that Castillo had falsified documents to allow him to play for Ecuador, despite allegedly being born in Colombia. Lawyer Eduardo Carlezzo, who represented Chile during the court case, backed up their claims by saying that fingerprints were absent from Castillo's document that states he was born in Ecuador, with Chile accusing their South American neighbours of "rigging" the process. https://twitter.com/FootballJOE/status/1535277992162861060 But in a statement on Friday, FIFA confirmed that they had concluded their investigation and that they would no punish Ecuador. They said: "The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has rendered its decision in relation to the potential ineligibility of the player Byron David Castillo Segura with regard to his participation in eight qualifying matches of the national team of the Ecuadorian Football Association (FEF) in the preliminary competition of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

"After analysing the submissions of all parties concerned and considering all elements brought before it, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has decided to close the proceedings initiated against the FEF.

"The Disciplinary Committee’s findings were notified today to the parties concerned. In accordance with the relevant provisions of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the parties have ten days in which to request a motivated decision, which, if requested, would subsequently be published on legal.fifa.com. The present decision remains subject to an appeal before the FIFA Appeal Committee."

Ecuador post sassy response on Twitter

And just moments later they posted their response to the events in what could be interpreted as a subtle dig at the Chilean FF, s well as the relief that they won't give up their place in Qatar. All it took was one simple emoji: a hand covering a face from laughter: https://twitter.com/latri/status/1535274475398234116?s=21&t=a0LfxCnkpztDNbDElcFUpA Chile may still get the last laugh though as they have the right to challenge the ruling at FIFA’s appeals committee and potentially later at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Ecuador are in Group A at the World Cup alongside the Netherlands, Senegal and the hosts, Qatar. Related links:

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