'That's how I found out I was dead' - Irish league footballer explains faked demise
The footballer caught up in a faked death controversy has explained how he read of his own demise after being alerted to the news by work colleagues.
Updated 6 hours ago
Ballybrack, who play in the Leinster Senior League in the Republic of Ireland, apologised on Thursday (AEDT) after making a false claim that Fernando Lafuente had been killed in a road traffic accident.
The claim led to the postponement of the club's clash with Arklow Town and the staging of a minute's silence at the league's other fixtures.
Ballybrack blamed the incident on a member of the senior management team "who has been experiencing severe personal difficulties unbeknownst to any other members of the club".
Lafuente, who moved to Galway from Dublin - where the club is based - two months ago, says he knew a story was being cooked up, potentially in a bid to force the abandonment because "they had a rough time getting players".
"I was aware there was going to be some story on me but I thought it was going to be me breaking a leg or something like that," Lafuente told RTE Radio 1.
"I was home yesterday after my work finished. I was playing some video games. They told me, 'you're a celebrity.'
"They started sending me all these news articles and mass media. And that's how I found out I was dead.
"It's serious on their part but I'm finding it a little bit funny because, basically, I'm not dead."
"I was taken out [of the WhatsApp group] on Saturday. I knew something was going on and they called me and said 'Okay Fernando, you might see the League post something on Twitter saying you had an accident.' But I thought it was going to be a broken leg type accident.
"I have a really good relationship with them. It was just to let me know.
"As soon as I heard the news, I wrote to them. They got straight back to me and told me what was going on and they apologised.
"My wife had some Facebook fuss but she already knew everything. I had to call my mum straight away and she basically didn't know anything.
"She saw this morning my photo on all the newspapers. I haven't spoken with her yet because she didn't answer any of the messages I sent."
Source Omnisport
Only in Ireland. OM
'How I found out I was Dead' - Irish Footballer explains
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'How I found out I was Dead' - Irish Footballer explains
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