Since the end of April, the nationality of Byron Castillo has been questioned by the Chilean Football Federation, which denounced Ecuador before the FIFA Disciplinary Commission to investigate the case. The 23-year-old winger couldn’t stand the pressure he has been subjected to during these months and the weekend playing for Barcelona he committed a penalty and asked his coach to be substituted, he left the field crying and Jorge Célico (DT) assured that, “he has an emotional burden that is very difficult to bear”.
The match of date 14 of the Ecuadorian league was played between Aucas and Barcelona at the Gonzalo Pozo Ripalda stadium in Quito. Byron Castillo was lined up as a starter for Célico, who had planned to change the player before he committed the penalty on Carlos Cuero in added time of the first half when they were down 1-0 on the scoreboard.
Nevertheless, the coach preferred to endure the change without knowing that Castillo would commit the foul inside the area that unleashed his sadness after the Argentine Francisco Fydriszewski converted the partial 2-0. The winger couldn’t take it anymore and between tears he asked his coach to replace him.
Jorge Célico and the moment in which Castillo asks for the change
For the Argentine coach, what the player is experiencing is very difficult to cope with. “Byron Castillo is a victim of the media power of modern times. The boy has an emotional burden that is very difficult to bear, what’s more, for me it is admirable that he starts training. When I saw what happened to him today, I was very sad, that’s why he doesn’t come out before “indicated the strategist.
Célico said that Castillo was already feeling uncomfortable on the court and that’s why he had another player warming up to replace him. Although he wanted to avoid bringing him out at that time because he considered him to be worse, without knowing that the side had the bad luck to commit the penalty.
“Pedro Pablo Velasco was warming up to enter, but I didn’t make the change because it would have been a fatal blow and that’s where the penalty came from (for a foul on Carlos Cuero). I prefer to stay with the facet of being human and think about the players and not about a result “.
Barcelona and the support campaign: #TodosSomosByron
The club in which Byron Castillo has been playing for six seasons carried out a campaign to support the winger after what happened over the weekend. with the till #TodosSomosByron the team expects its fans to support the player who told his coach in the middle of the game to take him out because he couldn’t take it anymore. “Get me out, get me out now”.
Byron this season accumulates 11 league games y He was not called up for the Copa Sudamericana match that they will play in Uruguay next Wednesday, May 25, at the Centenario stadium against Montevideo Wanderers. For now, the club gives him rest and FIFA continues with the disciplinary procedure against him.
