Colombian player threatened with death after World Cup miss; will not return home
Colombian Jáminson Campaz has remained outside his country after receiving death threats directed at him and his family following a costly mistake in the match against Switzerland.
Colombian player threatened with death after World Cup miss; will not return home
Footballer Jáminson Campaz, a member of Colombia's national team, has chosen not to return to his country following expressions of violence he received after elimination from the international tournament. The striker, who currently plays for Rosario Central in Argentina, was harshly criticised after wasting a scoring opportunity in extra time against the Swiss side, according to reporting by Žurnal24.
During the 114th minute of the match, the forward failed to capitalise on a clear chance that could have decided the score. As the result remained level after the ninety regulation minutes and the two additional periods, qualification was decided by a penalty shootout, in which the European team proved victorious. Campaz executed his penalty kick correctly, although two other teammates were not as fortunate.
Subsequently, various users on digital platforms attacked the athlete with hostile messages and serious threats. The newspaper El Colombiano reported that the player's relatives were also targeted by these verbal assaults. "No passion justifies hatred and living in fear," Campaz said through his Instagram profile.
The situation has evoked memories of the murder of Andrés Escobar, a Colombian defender shot dead in 1994 after scoring an own goal during the World Cup tournament held in the United States. In that instance, Escobar attempted to cut out a cross from John Harkes but deflected the ball into his own goal. The narrow defeat meant that the Colombian team was eliminated from the knockout stage.
After arriving in Medellín, hired assassins shot Escobar dead in the car park of a nightlife venue. The actual perpetrator of the crime was Humberto Muñoz Castro, bodyguard to Santiago Gallón Henao, who was linked to a criminal gang in that city. Those responsible for the shooting had previously humiliated the athlete. The gunman received a sentence of forty-four years in prison, although he remained incarcerated for only eleven years. The Gallón brothers served sentences of fifteen months.
In February of this year, hired assassins executed Santiago Gallón Henao in Mexican territory.
Source: Žurnal24
Source: Žurnal24