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I stuck my finger up a Man Utd cult hero’s bum at the Copa America, now I’m my country’s face of prostate cancer testing

GONZALO JARA has put sticking a finger up Edinson Cavani's bum behind him - by becoming the face of a campaign for prostate testing.

The Chile legend was banned for the rest of the 2015 Copa America after his famous "Finger of God" intrusion on Uruguay great Cavani.

Gonzalo Jara attempted to provoke Edinson Cavani and now hopes to do the same with Chile's men, by prompting them to get theIr prostate checked
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Gonzalo Jara attempted to provoke Edinson Cavani and now hopes to do the same with Chile's men, by prompting them to get theIr prostate checked
The stalwart centre-back has put his infamous past to good use to promote an important campaign in his native country
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The stalwart centre-back has put his infamous past to good use to promote an important campaign in his native countryCredit: TNT
Chilean household name Jara shocked football by copping a feel of Cavani at the Copa America but is a changed man now
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Chilean household name Jara shocked football by copping a feel of Cavani at the Copa America but is a changed man nowCredit: TNT

But now Jara has turned his back on notoriety and hopes to go viral for all the right reasons.

The 115-cap defender, 37, is leading a drive by TNT Sports Chile called "Get your prostate checked, champion" at the huge derby between his old clubs Universidad de Chile and Colo Colo on September 3.

He told a promotional video: "I've been dodging the finger issue for eight years, but now that the Superclasico is coming up, the time has come."

Next month's big match falls on National Prostatic Testing Day.

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Jara's new role comes eight years after his inappropriate act on then-PSG striker Cavani, who later played for Manchester United.

Both international stalwarts are still playing top-flight club football.

Argentine giants Boca Juniors unveiled 38-year-old Cavani last month and Jara has been with home-country club Coquimbo Unido since 2022.

And despite Jara's three-game suspension in 2015, hosts Chile still went on to win the Copa America, beating Argentina on penalties in the final.

Jara now appears on a website that registers fans of Universidad de Chile or Colo Colo aged over 45 for free prostate antigen tests.

Francisca Mora, Marketing Manager of Warner Bros. Discovery, said: "Almost 70 per cent of our viewers are men, and a significant number are over 45 years old.

"With that in mind, and to take care of an important member of this great football family, we take advantage of this Superclasico to make a call for prevention and self-care of prostate cancer."

The Chile Skin Cancer Foundation are also taking part in the campaign.

Its president Dr Bruno Nervi said 40 per cent of prostate cancer diagnoses come at a late stage, leading to more than 2,000 deaths a year in the country.

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