Borussia Dortmund issue statement with their player accused of lying about his age

A man claiming to be Youssoufa Moukoko's dad says he is actually 24 (Image: Getty)

Borussia Dortmund have responded to wild claims that forward Youssoufa Moukoko is actually four years older than believed. The Germany international, who is on loan with French club Nice, is the subject of allegations by a man claiming to be his father Joseph Moukoko.

Moukoko is registered as being 20 years old, having been born on November 20, 2004. However, a man claiming to be his father in a new documentary alleges that Moukoko is actually 24.

Joseph has previously been recognised as Moukoko’s father but German publication BILD report that he has gone into hiding and he now claims he is not the biological dad. The 73-year-old went on to allege that he falsified a birth certificate to make the footballer four years younger.

Dortmund have now responded to the allegations, claiming that they are content with the legitimacy of the documents they have which testify that Moukoko is 20.

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A statement read: "In the case of Youssoufa Moukoko, the biological parents and the date of birth are derived from official identification documents and birth certificates issued by a German authority.

“These documents are still valid today and are the basis for playing authorizations and permits for clubs, regardless of whether they are domestic or foreign, and of course also for association teams such as the German U21 national team.

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“Please also note that both the player and the biological parents identified in the above-mentioned documents have declared to us and, in the case of the parents, even to third parties through affidavits in the context of legal proceedings that the information contained in the aforementioned official documents is correct.

Youssoufa Moukoko broke into the Borussia Dortmund first-team as a 16-year-old (Image: Getty) SUBSCRIBE Invalid email

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“This factual status is of course decisive for us, the DFB, and the player's current club."

In the documentary Tricking, cheating, deceiving – the million-dollar business with football talent, Joseph is claimed to have said: “Aware of the criminal liability of a false affidavit, I declare under oath: Youssoufa Moukoko is not the biological son of me and my wife Marie Moukoko. He was also not born on November 20, 2004 in Yaounde, Cameroon.

“I got him a false birth certificate in Yaounde. I then went to the embassy and got him a passport and then took him with me to Germany as my son. He was actually born on July 19, 2000. We made him four years younger. Now he was born on November 20, 2004.”

Borussia Dortmund issue statement with their player accused of lying about his age

Borussia Dortmund issue statement with their player accused of lying about his age

Borussia Dortmund issue statement with their player accused of lying about his age

Borussia Dortmund issue statement with their player accused of lying about his age

Borussia Dortmund issue statement with their player accused of lying about his age