Valencia breaks silence, claims ‘ridiculous persecution’

You watched the ridiculous scenes as Everton’s on-loan striker Enner Valencia was carted off the field for what many claimed to be a phantom injury - turns out he was actually afflicted by altitude sickness. Not really a surprise, considering Quito sits at 2,850 metres (9,350 ft) above sea level.

However, the real drama was transpiring as a police escort chased the supine Valencia on his motorized transport around the field. Can’t make this up.

We found out later that there was an arrest warrant out for Valencia in his home country of Ecuador for supposedly evading child support payments to his ex-wife.

The player’s agent Gonzalo Vargas later reported that as of Friday the arrest warrant for the striker had now been publicly revoked and he was free to come and go.

Everton’s summer loan signing redeemed himself last night with two goals for Ecuador, drawing the game after going down two goals to Bolivia. His national side sits in third place in CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifying, just passed the halfway mark with the top four qualifying automatically for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Now Valencia has spoken out, saying that he has been misrepresented in the media.

“I feel the need to make the following clarifications, in order not only to clarify the facts, but to honour the image of my family and myself, both personally and professionally.

“I am currently facing several lawsuits initiated by Sinthyia Pinargote Chumo, which I perceive are aimed exclusively on matters of economic and personal gain, such as the demand for maintenance, presented in 2015, where I set the amount of 30,000 dollars a month as alimony.

“Within the last two years, despite spending a sum estimated to 100,000 US dollars, for pensions of food, which can be verified on the website of the judiciary, she has prevented me strengthening my relationship with my daughter, because her mother prevents me from exercising any contact on my visits when I am in Ecuador.

“After talking with my family, we have made the decision to file a lawsuit, seeking custody of my daughter Beira, aiming for her to come live and study in England, where I live now, so she can grow in a stable environment, with the necessary conditions for her development.

“That application was granted in December 2015, the judiciary bestowing me custody of my daughter Beira, and suspending all alimony monthly payments to Mrs. Sinthyia Pinargorte.”

So there, it’s all resolved and as clear as mud now.