FIFA announced this last Wednesday, May 11th launched a formal investigation by the Ecuadorian Football Federation (FEF) after the Chilean National Federation of Professional Football (ANFP) lodged a complaint over possible falsification of the footballer’s documents Byron Castillo. Although world football’s highest body has opened a file that has raised high expectations among the Reds ahead of a possible Qatar 2022 qualification, the process could take some time as one more instance is still missing.
As he said Edward CarlezzoChilean criminal defense attorney, The southern team has submitted three motions to the governing body. “We hope Byron Castillo is banned from professional football. Next, we ask for the application of Article 22, which gives Chile the points from the games against Ecuador, so FIFA declares that Chile is fourth in the qualification. And as a sanction against the FEF, the exclusion from the 2026 World Cup,” he explained a few days ago.
In this case, six months before the start of Qatar 2022, the following questions arise: what will happen next, will the times be announced, will it be clarified before the World Cup?
Byron Castillo was removed from the minor divisions of the Ecuador national team 5 years ago for alleged document forgery. Photo: LR/AFP composite
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FIFA and its Response to the Byron Castillo Case
Now that FIFA has opened the investigation, it is appropriate for the Ecuadorian Football Federation to state its position within the allotted 10 days. That means you have until the 21st of this month. After the Governing Body received the Ecuadorian defense for the Byron Castillo case, the Disciplinary Commission could provide an answer within about 30 days, provided it believes it has sufficient evidence.
“I understand clearly that when FIFA finds that the player has used forged documents, they have to apply Article 22 if the opponent wins the game 3-0,” explained Eduardo Carlezzo.
However, if the verdict does not convince either party, they can appeal and appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the final authority to resolve this case, as happened with the Bolivian Nelson Cabrera for the World Cup in Russia 2018
Chile claims Byron Castillo’s irregular registration points Photo: EFE
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TAS and that against
The next instance that the federation of Ecuador or Chile could turn to is the TAS, but going to this sports court would require more time to know the answer, it would even take until after the World Cup. The defense of the southern team knows that very well.
“In general, if we apply the general conditions for procedures like this one, we would probably not arrive at a definitive solution before November, since there are three instances,” specified Eduardo Carlezzo.
However, other sports law experts assert that the CAS could solve the case as quickly as possible due to the media pressure of the case and because it is about the World Cup.
“It will depend on who processes them. Given the seriousness and what this means for a World Cup to classify a World Cup with administrative means, I don’t see that it’s something that FIFA wants to extend, but that they want to define it quickly,” said sports lawyer Daniel Orsi for the newspaper Third .
Recall that a precedent similar to that of the TAS is the case with Paolo Guerrero. The Peru striker appealed the FIFA decision banning him for six months in March 2018 and the court ruled a month later (May) due to the proximity of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.