Reuters, Saturday May 9 2009
By Mike Collett, The Guardian
Tottenham Hotspur withdrew Honduran midfielder Wilson Palacios from the match against Everton on Saturday after reports that the dead body of his kidnapped brother had been discovered in Honduras.
"We are waiting for further information, but Wilson was withdrawn from the squad for the Everton match. He will fly back to Honduras on Sunday," a Tottenham spokesman said.
Edwin Palacios, the youngest brother of the 24-year-old Spurs midfielder, was kidnapped from his parents' house in October 2007.
Honduran authorities believe the body they found 150 miles (240 km) north of the capital Tegucigalpa was that of the kidnapped teenager.
"The clothing we found matches what he was wearing when he was kidnapped, but we are still waiting for forensic dental records and DNA tests to confirm it," Danelia Ferrera, an official at Honduras' attorney general's office, told Reuters.
Police suspect the kidnappers belonged to violent street gangs in Honduras, one of the most dangerous countries in Latin America.
Palacios' family paid a ransom of around $200,000 to the kidnappers but their son was not released, said local police.
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp told Sky Sports News after the match against Everton ended in a 0-0 draw: "It's been a bad day. We got a message at seven o'clock this morning that he has to rush home, that the young boy could have been killed."
"He was kidnapped 18 months ago or so, and it was bad to see Wilson in the state he was in with this bad news."
If the body is confirmed to be that of Edwin Palacios, Wilson Palacios will be the second Tottenham player to have lost a brother in recent weeks.
Last month Jade Defoe, the 26-year-old brother of striker Jermain Defoe, died after being attacked in east London.
By Mike Collett, The Guardian
Tottenham Hotspur withdrew Honduran midfielder Wilson Palacios from the match against Everton on Saturday after reports that the dead body of his kidnapped brother had been discovered in Honduras.
"We are waiting for further information, but Wilson was withdrawn from the squad for the Everton match. He will fly back to Honduras on Sunday," a Tottenham spokesman said.
Edwin Palacios, the youngest brother of the 24-year-old Spurs midfielder, was kidnapped from his parents' house in October 2007.
Honduran authorities believe the body they found 150 miles (240 km) north of the capital Tegucigalpa was that of the kidnapped teenager.
"The clothing we found matches what he was wearing when he was kidnapped, but we are still waiting for forensic dental records and DNA tests to confirm it," Danelia Ferrera, an official at Honduras' attorney general's office, told Reuters.
Police suspect the kidnappers belonged to violent street gangs in Honduras, one of the most dangerous countries in Latin America.
Palacios' family paid a ransom of around $200,000 to the kidnappers but their son was not released, said local police.
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp told Sky Sports News after the match against Everton ended in a 0-0 draw: "It's been a bad day. We got a message at seven o'clock this morning that he has to rush home, that the young boy could have been killed."
"He was kidnapped 18 months ago or so, and it was bad to see Wilson in the state he was in with this bad news."
If the body is confirmed to be that of Edwin Palacios, Wilson Palacios will be the second Tottenham player to have lost a brother in recent weeks.
Last month Jade Defoe, the 26-year-old brother of striker Jermain Defoe, died after being attacked in east London.
I can't even imagine how bad that must be...
Comment