Report: AC Milan claims former youth player lied about age

AC Milan is set to take a former youth player to court after revelations that he was nine years older than the age he said he was, reports Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Yusupha Yaffa arrived in Italy in 2009 from his native Gambia, and convinced both immigration authorities at the time that he was 13 years old.

La Gazzetta claims that recent investigations into Yaffa's real date of birth - Nov. 14, 1987 rather than Dec. 31, 1996 - have exposed alleged fraud.

Yaffa had reportedly claimed to have lost his documents upon his arrival. It didn't stop him from staying in Italy, or later making Milan's youth team as a supposed 19-year-old.

(Courtesy: Jaimefmacias)

The Gambian, who is now said to be 28, triggered suspicions after divulging details about his education on Facebook, details that didn't line up with his alleged age.

Yaffa has maintained his innocence, with his attorney moving to bring the case to juvenile court.

The Italian football association dealt with a similar case in 2014, when allegations emerged claiming that Lazio midfielder Joseph Minala had altered his passport to play for the capital club's youth team. The suggestion was that he was a 42-year-old pretending to be 17.

Minala was cleared of any wrongdoing. He is now playing for Bari, on loan from Lazio.