The head of Peru’s qualifications for the 2010 World Cup confirmed that investigations of player misbehavior will continue. Congressman Juvenal Silva has already suspended four players on the national soccer team. Santiago Acasiete, Andrés Mendoza, Claudio Pizarro and Jefferson Farfán were allegedly womanizing and drinking on Nov. 18, after Peru’s match with Brazil.
Led by Peru’s media, the allegations are likely a result of Peru’s dismal performance so far in the 2010 World Cup qualifications. Peru’s last game, for instance, was a 5-1 defeat against Ecuador.
¨We shouldn’t confuse the situation. It doesn’t matter if Acasiete was in an orgy or he only drank a few beers. It also doesn’t matter if Pizarro made out with a girl while drinking a coca-cola¨ said daily El Comercio. ¨Millions of people put their hopes in them. We gave them everything. They gave us nothing.¨
The players have denied wrong doing. Santiago Acasiete, for instance, claims the two women who entered his hotel room were his sisters, Wendi and Zoria Acasiete.
The media’s daily coverage of the alleged soccer controversy comes as Peru is facing important political and economic issues. This includes the human rights trial of ex-President Alberto Fujimori.
