The World Cup has been an exciting affair so far, but for one former Manchester United ace it's not going so well for his country
Antonio Valencia speaking to the camera at the Kansas City Stadium
Man United icon Antonio Valencia sent a message to his fellow Ecuadorians(Image: X/anto_v25)
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Former Manchester United ace Antonio Valencia has apologised to his home nation of Ecuador for their poor displays at the World Cup.
The South American nation are on the verge of exiting the competition in the group stages. After United forward Amad Diallo scored a late winner for Ivory Coast to down Ecuador in their opening group match, Valencia's country needed a win against Curacao to all-but-book their place in the round of 32.
Unbelievably, they were held to a 0-0 draw by the tiny Caribbean nation, who were pummelled 7-1 by the Germans in their opening match. Ecuador now need to beat Germany to have any chance of reaching the next round.
It's a state of affairs which does not inspire any confidence among Ecuador's people The travelling fans and those watching at home were furious with the start of their tournament.
So much so Valencia has issued a public message on X to call for calm. He said: "I want to apologise to all the people of Ecuador, to everyone who travelled from so far away, to everyone who supported the team from the beginning.
"We know the frustration you feel, but we must remain united as a country. Please don't be so harsh with your messages and comments toward the players.
"They are the ones who most want to bring joy to the country. Let's support this new generation. There are many changes to be made and a long road ahead.”
At United, Valencia made 339 appearances for the Reds, contributing 25 goals and 48 assists. He went from being a dynamic winger signed by Sir Alex Ferguson from Wigan Athletic to a top right-back for the club.
In 2018 he was made captain by Jose Mourinho before departing the club in 2019 to join LDU Quito in his home country. For the national team, he also made 99 appearances, scoring 11 goals.
Antonio Valencia
Antonio Valencia was an ever-present figure for Man United during his time with the club(Image: Getty Images)
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He is now the assistant manager of Ecuadorian side Academia AV. Valencia will certainly be paying close attention to how his country reacts to their, so far, disappointing World Cup.
Ecuador are not mathematically out of the competition just yet. A win against Germany would put them on four points and leave them with an opportunity to qualify as one of the best third-placed teams in the group stages.