Borussia Dortmund issue clear statement after Youssoufa Moukoko is accused of lying about his age in controversial documentary

Ahead of the documentary 'Tricks, Cheats, Deception - The Million Dollar Business with Football Talents' being released on Sunday, it has been claimed that the German international is four years older than his apparent age of 20. Moreover, the documentary posits that his real name is different and that his father, Joseph Moukoko, is not actually his biological parent. Now, Dortmund have given their take on the matter.

Dortmund told Sky Germany: "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. 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. This factual status is of course decisive for us, the DFB, and the player's current club."

In the documentary, aired by German channel ProSieben, the man claiming to be Joseph Moukoko reportedly confessed to falsifying documents to present the striker - currently on loan at Nice - as his son and reduce his official age.

He said, via beIN Sports: "We did it so he could have better opportunities in European football."

The publication adds these revelations could suggest he exceeded the age limit in youth competitions, including Germany's Under-21 European Championship triumph in 2021. The veracity of the documentary is yet to be revealed, however.

Moukoko, who became the youngest player in Bundesliga history at the age of 16 in late 2020 when he lined up for Dortmund, will hope to shake off the recent accusations ahead of Nice's clash with Montpellier on Sunday.