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Peru player sent home from U20 Championships for being a 25-year-old Ecuadorian bloke

Posted by Chris Wright

Peru’s Max Barrios, or is it Ecuadorian Juan Carlos Espinosa?APPeru’s Max Barrios, or is it Ecuadorian Juan Carlos Espinosa?

Peru have sent a player home from the South American U20 Championships after it came to light that he may actually be a 25-year-old from Ecuador.

Max Barrios was registered as an 18-year-old Peruvian native by the Peru U20s before they flew out to the championships in Argentina (which is essentially the South American qualifying tournament for the Under 20 World Cup) though CONMEBOL have now stepped in and sent him back from whence he came after the Ecuadorian Football Federation (FEF) raised suspicions over his true identity.

The two countries played each other during the group stages of the tournament and it was then that FEF officials noticed that 'Barrios' looked an awful lot like a player who played in the Ecuadorian league up until last year by the name of Juan Carlos Espinosa, who according to their records was born in 1987, thus making him 25.

CONMEBOL were then tipped off about the allegations and have since launched an investigation into the matter, with spokesman Nestor Benitez saying: "The latest information we have is that Barrios is returning to Lima to explain his situation to the Peruvian Football Federation."

FEF are adamant that 'Barrios' was actually born in 1987 in Machala, Ecuador, and played for a succession of Ecuadorian teams before 'disappearing' from their database in 2012, only to resurface in the Peru U20 squad a few months later.

The player's father, Angel Barrios, is denying that his son has been trying it on, claiming that Max was born in 1995 and has dual nationality due to being born to an Ecuadorian mother before moving to Peru aged six, when his parents split up.

"My son hasn't done anything bad, he simply has dual nationality and decided to play for Peru. I have a birth certificate which is formal and legal," said Barrios Snr.

"He was born in 1995. I have all the papers in order."

Riiiight.

CONMEBOL have already stated that the Peru U20s will not be punished if they are found to have fielded an illegitimate player, though what they're planning to do with 'Max Barrios' is anybody's guess!

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