:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69422018/1300674263.0.jpg)
It has been revealed by VfB Stuttgart that one of their star players has been playing under a false name. Silas Katompa Mvumpa is the player’s real name and Stuttgart claims that he has been “a victim of machinations of the part of his former agent.”
Mvumpa, of course, had a breakout season in the Bundesliga, before his campaign ended with an injury against Bayern Munich. Mvumpa’s age was also misrepresented as his birth date was found to be October 6th, 1998, which makes him a year older than previously thought. The club does not fear any consequences for the rookie forward and they believe he will get a playing license showing his correct name and info.
ℹ️ VfB striker Silas Wamangituka recently made it known to the club that he had been the victim of manipulation by his former player agent and that Wamangituka is not his real name. #VfBhttps://t.co/b2n8W0H9LE
— VfB Stuttgart_int (@VfB_int) June 8, 2021
A former agent who is said to have forged this false identity, let Silas stay with him in Paris and deliberately change his name and birth date in order to purposely break the connection with the Congolese club that developed him, assumingly. In consequence, this made the player increasingly reliant on the agent which escalated to the point of potential blackmailing.
Silas now has some relief, with this news coming to light. “I’ve lived in constant fear these last few years and have also been very worried for my family in the Congo. It was a difficult step for me to go public with my story,” said Silas Katompa Mvumpa in announcing his situation.
Before Silas was ruled out for the rest of the season after sustaining a serious knee injury in March, he played a massive role in Stuttgart’s success after being newly promoted. The forward amassed 11 goals and five assists in just 25 games as a rookie this past season. He is a truly outstanding young talent and he showed some incredible character by doing all of this with such fear throughout the years.
6/ Final thought. If you watched Silas last season, you’ll know just how brilliant he was. True entertainer and also a highly effective one. Hope he’ll get the support he deserves from the worldwide Bundesliga community. Can’t have been an easy thing to go through.
— Derek Rae (@RaeComm) June 8, 2021
Let’s hope that with this news coming to light, he can be relieved of his past and move forward with a promising playing career. He has no shortage of fan support and has become somewhat of a cult favorite amongst the community. This breaking story will shed some light on some of the harmful aspects of the game, but will hopefully be seen as a success story for someone who escaped that world.