Reports from Colombia have emerged claiming that AS Monaco striker Radamel Falcao is not 27, but rather 29. Their evidence is a series of registration documents from his primaryschool, which shows that the striker was born in 1984, not 1986. The school also has a photo of the youngster from his first year at the school in 1989, showing a boy who resembles Falcao, but who isclearly around 5 years old rather than 3.
As Eurosport points out, lying about one’s age in the world of soccer is a very serious offense, because the enormous $80 milliontransfer fee that Monaco paid for what they thought was a 27-year-old would have been greatly reduced if indeed Falcao is 29. It’s the difference between a player who has just a few more yearsleft of his career, and a player who is just entering his peak. Monaco would be lucky to get half of what it paid for the Colombia international if it decides to sell him in the future, the reportclaims.
Neither Falcao nor Monaco has yet responded to the claims.