- One of German
soccer 's best young players revealed he has been playing under false identity. - Silas Wamangituka says his real name is actually Silas Katompa Mvumpa and that he is 22, not 21.
- The Congolese striker says he has been "living in fear" after being manipulated by an agent.
One of European soccer's most promising young players has revealed he has been playing under false identity given to him when he first moved to Europe from his home country, the Democratic Republic of Congo.
VfB Stuttgart striker, Silas Katompa Mvumpa, who was named the
The Congolese player has been playing under the name Silas Wamangituka since the start of his career in Europe, but announced Tuesday that his name is actually Silas Katompa Mvumpa.
In a statement shared by his club, Katompa Mvumpa also said that he is 22-years-old. It was previously believed that he was 21.
"Over the past few years, I was constantly living in fear and was also very worried for my family in Congo," Silas said in a statement on the club's website.
"It was a tough step for me to take to make my story public and I would never have had the courage to do so if Stuttgart, my team and VfB had not become like a second home and a safe place to me."
Sven Mislintat, Stuttgart's sporting director, said: "First and foremost, Silas has been the victim of this change of name. I have the greatest respect for the fact that at a young age, he has taken the brave step to clarify his situation.
"We will continue to give him all the help he needs in absolutely every respect."
-VfB Stuttgart_int (@VfB_int) June 8, 2021
Silas first came to Europe in 2017 when he was 18 years old for a trial with Belgian club RSC Anderlecht.
The Belgian side has been interested in signing him, however had asked him to return to the DR Congo and then come back to Belgium with the appropriate visa to complete the move.
Silas says he was then told by his agent that he would not be allowed to return to Europe if he travelled back to Africa, and was instead convinced by the agent to move to Paris.
The teenager's identity was then changed and papers were created to allow him to sign a deal with French side Alès, and later Paris FC.
When Silas joined Stuttgart in 2019, he was still under the management of said agent. The unnamed agent, the German club says, siphoned off part of his wages and threatened him that he would never play soccer again if the matter became public.
"Once he had built up a relationship of trust in Stuttgart and gradually been able to distance himself from his agent, Silas battled his considerable fears of that man and made his situation known to the club, and decided to change agents," the club said.
"Thanks to his considerable efforts to clear up the situation, Silas now has a valid Congolese passport with his correct personal details."
Silas scored 13 goals and produced five assists for Stuttgart during the 2020/21 season as Pellegrino Matarazzo's side finished ninth in the Bundesliga.