The Football Federation of Chile have announced that they will turn to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after their attempts to get Ecuador kicked out of the upcoming World Cup suffered another blow.
The Chilean national team failed to qualify for the upcoming tournament in Qatar having finished seventh in the qualifying campaign - only the top four teams booking their place at the World Cup.
However, they believe that Ecuador have a case to answer with star Byron Castillo having apparently been born in Colombia in 1995 and not in the Ecuadorian city of General Villamil Playas, as stated on his official documents.
FIFA did not agree, having rejected Chile’s joint complaint with fellow South American nation Peru in June before the decision was appealed. That appeal has also been thrown out.
A statement from the governing body read: “The FIFA Appeal Committee has rendered its decision on the appeals lodged by the Chilean Football Association (FFCH) and the Peruvian Football Association (FPF) against the decision issued by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee on 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™.
“Having analysed the submissions of all parties and after a hearing had been conducted, the Appeal Committee confirmed the decision of the Disciplinary Committee to close the proceedings initiated against the FEF.
“Amongst other considerations, it deemed that on the basis of the documents presented, the player was to be considered as holding permanent Ecuadorian nationality in accordance with art. 5 par. 1 of the FIFA Regulations Governing the Application of the Statutes.”
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However, Chile have now announced that they are not dropping the issue and have reaffirmed their commitment to turn to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
A statement from the Chilean Football Federation read: “The weight of evidence is clear & we urge the (FIFA) Appeal Committee to deliver the grounds of the decision very quickly because there were enough unjustifiable delays.”
It of course remains to be seen what decision will be made but any punishment appears difficult to enforce with the World Cup getting underway in just over two months’ time.
Having earned a place in the draw for the tournament, Ecuador were selected in a group alongside hosts Qatar, the Netherlands and Senegal.
The South American nation are set to tackle the opening game of the tournament against the hosts - a fixture that has already been altered having been moved a day sooner to fit in with tradition of the home nation playing in the first game.
