Ex-Barcelona footballer accused of having twin brother play in his place

A sensational episode has been uncovered in European football, with a player accused of sending his twin brother to play for the side he transferred to.

Former Barcelona academy graduate Edgar Ie signed for Romanian club CS Dinamo Bucuresti in February and has made five appearances since departing Turkish club Istanbul Basaksehir.

However, investigation into those appearances is now underway after European outlets broke the news that Ie’s twin, Edlino, might have played in his stead.

Dinamo Bucuresti are said to have been surprised to learn that the defender did not speak English, despite him having had a career that has taken him to Spain, France, Turkey and the Netherlands.

That was what first sparked suspicion as Dinamo had been assured the 30-year-old spoke the language.

Edlino is a footballer himself and plays for Portuguese fourth-division side Resende.

Dinamo have subsequently asked Ie to provide a copy of his drivers licence, with that request being refused.

The investigation is ongoing and Dinamo run the risk of being docked the eight points they have gained in the five matches Ie is said to have played, due to fielding an ineligible player.

A source within the Romanian Football Federation told a local outlet that there is no precedent for a situation like this.

“There is no planned scenario for this situation.

“If the player who played is not the real one, there could be sanctions. Legally, a DNA test can decide everything.

“Of course, Dinamo never intended to use the twin brother instead of the correct one.

“I think that, if the DNA result confirms that it is his twin brother, they should consider a defence, considering that they did not know about this.

“The possibility will have to be considered, but if Dinamo was deceived and manages to prove it, then the risk of losing points does not exist.”

It comes with Bucharest already facing trouble as they battle relegation from the Romanian SuperLiga - a points deduction could sink their season.

Ie made one appearance for Barcelona after coming through the ranks of La Masia, the Spanish giant’s famed academy.

The two twins were brought up through the Sporting academy in Portugal originally before Edgar transferred to Barcelona’s La Masia in 2012.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission