Enner Valencia escapes police on medical buggy during Ecuador match

07 October 2016 13:38

Enner Valencia was involved in a bizarre incident on Thursday, when the forward appeared to be chased by police while being transported on a medical buggy during Ecuador's 3-0 win over Chile.

Valencia, who is on loan at Everton from West Ham, was substituted in the 82nd minute of the World Cup qualifier in Quito.

And video footage has emerged appearing to show the 26-year-old, who had an oxygen mask put over his face, then being pursued by police officers as a medical buggy carried him along the running track surrounding the pitch to an ambulance.

The incident occurred after reports that Valencia was involved in a dispute over child maintenance payments.

Spanish newspaper AS on Wednesday reported lawyers, accompanied by the police, arrived at Ecuador's training session and made a failed attempt to have Valencia detained.

In the report, Paul Marin, a lawyer for the mother of Valencia's child, is quoted as saying: "It's lamentable that certain police officers didn't collaborate with the detention of the footballer Enner Valencia, to ensure compliance with a judicial order.

"If they say this man earns so much, why doesn't he pay (the maintenance) monthly to his daughter?"

Valencia himself retweeted a message on Thursday from Ecuadorian journalist Andres Guschmer, which said: "I've read what some have written about the personal matter of Enner and I notice how easy it is for those to judge someone without knowing the matter."

Meanwhile, Valencia's agent Gonzalo Vargas wrote on Twitter: "Enner as a father has fulfilled, including legally he has fought to be able to have greater time with his daughter, unfortunately the matter comes down to $$.

"Unfortunately certain laws of our country have many gaps, where they sentence fathers who do their utmost for their children"

Further tweets from Vargas suggested Valencia's arrest warrant had been revoked.

Source: PA