Enner Valencia: Everton striker posts Instagram defence of his bizarre stretcher antics in World Cup tie
Everton loanee lits the lid on legal battle surrounding daughter Beira that led him to fake an injury in order to flee police
ENNER VALENCIA has taken to Instagram to confirm that a child maintenance dispute over his daughter Beira led to the bizarre sight of police chasing him while being stretchered out of a packed stadium.
The Everton forward – on loan from West Ham – was playing for Ecuador in their crunch Russia 2018 World Cup 3-0 qualifying win against Chile in Quito.
Amazingly, Valencia appeared to fake an injury to flee police and the judiciary amid the row over Beira... 24 hours after officials failed to have him detained ahead of training.
Instead, during the game Valencia was carried into an ambulance ready to take him out of the stadium and apparently to hospital. However, it was later revealed after the player's lawyer, Juan Carlos Carmigniani, had agreed a deal to void the court order for the time being.
Now, in a long statement, Valencia has finally given his side of the story.
He said: "In relation to the events of the past few days, regarding the alleged breach of my obligations to my daughter Beira Valencia Pinargote, who is five years old, as a result of a series of comments without foundation, 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.
"Coming from a humble and hardworking family, who since childhood have helped me to face all manner of difficult things that have been present throughout my life, managing to achieve the goals I have, raised from helping my father, selling milk in the streets, to my beginning with Club Sport Emelec, to become a professional player, but above all to be a person guided by God, it has allowed me to develop attributes to form a stable and happy marriage with my wife Sharon and my daughters.
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"However, I am currently facing several lawsuits initiated by Sinthyia Pinargote Chumo, which I perceive, they 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 thirty thousand dollars a month as alimony.
"Within the last two years, despite spending a sum estimated to a £80,600 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 ensuring she received a monthly pension."
Valencia claims that he delivered around £4,500 a month to Ms. Pinargote, with which she bought luxury cars, jewellery and other things, while also working as a dancer in a Guayquil nightclub and providing adult services on websites.
He also adds that Ms. Pinargote "organised an orchestrated show of persecution against me in the past few days, with the sole intention of causing serious damage to my image as a responsible parent".
The striker ends by confirming that be has paid all judicial costs relating to his daughter, as well as a cheque for £8,000, in unpaid obligations, while thanking his friends, family and teammates.