International Players

World star confessed that his name and age are false

By Mauricio Saenz

The player said that his former agent forced him to modify his data and lie to play professionally

The player said that his former agent forced him to modify his data and lie to play professionally

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Within the most important leagues in Europe, the Bundesliga has positioned itself as the epicenter of young talent. Many high-quality footballers at a young age find in German football an ideal place to exploit their potential, as this campaign did the Congolese Silas Wamangituka, author of 11 goals this season with VfB Stuttgart, who in the last hours made a dramatic revelation.

This talented African player confessed that he played under a false identity, following a manipulation by his former agent, as he revealed this Tuesday in a statement issued by his club. Silas Wamangituka, who passed through Belgium and later through Paris FC (France's second division) before landing in Germany, is actually called Silas Katompa Mvumpa and was born in October 1998 and not in 1999, as his documents indicated.

"The reasons for this manipulation are not linked to questions of residence rights," said VfB Stuttgart, explaining that it will take full charge of the defense of its player because he was "the victim of a conspiracy".

According to the club's statement, the player's former representative had de facto placed him under his tutelage, confiscating his papers and managing his money. What he apparently sought with the change of identity was to cut off certain contacts in the Congo and facilitate blackmail in his favor. In 2019, after changing agents, he was signed by Stuttgart.

After a fantastic season, where he was voted Best Rookie of the Month twice in a row and was among the triads for Rookie Player of the Year, young Silas suffered a torn cruciate ligament in his knee on Date 26 against Bayern Munich. While he is recovering from that serious injury, he has decided to tell about his ordeal.

“I have lived in constant fear in recent years and was also very concerned for my family in the Congo. It was a difficult step for me to reveal my story. I only dared to do this with the support of my new consultants. It became clear to me that I no longer have to be afraid and that we can put everything on the table together. I would not have dared to take this step if Stuttgart, my team and VfB had not become a second home for me where I feel safe. Today I am very relieved and I hope I can also encourage other players who have had similar experiences with agents", he said.

His emergence into the elite was meteoric. Until August 2018 he was not a professional and quickly became a Bundesliga sensation. Stuttgart paid 8 million euros to Paris FC and made him a contract until 2024, but it will be difficult for him to fulfill it because his name is already beginning to sound in the great entities of the continent. His market value was about 25 million and he is the most expensive player on his team.

Now his club has contacted the German Football Federation (DFB) to clarify the situation and Silas Katompa Mvumpa already received his official documents from the Democratic Republic of the Congo a few days ago. Everything indicates that he will be able to continue playing normally, although he has been playing under a false name for two years.

 

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