Dylan Bettencourt
In a crazy turn of events, 60-year-old Suriname vice-president Ronnie Brunswijk took to the field as captain of Inter Moengotapoe in a CONCACAF league fixture.
However, Brunswijk, who is also the president and owner of the club, did not have a successful debut and was taken off in the second half.
His team weren’t faring much better as they went down 6-0 against Olimpia.
After buying the club nearly 20 years ago, the politician helped the club build a stadium which he named after himself.
The Suriname politician – who reportedly has at least 50 children – became interested in buying the club after one of his sons played for the side.
In a further twist, Brunswijk can’t play in the second leg because he is wanted by Interpol for alleged drug trafficking and therefore cannot leave Suriname.
Brunswijk, humble in defeat, showed his gratitude to his opponents on the night by entering their dressing room to congratulate the players by handing each of them $100 dollar bills (about R1,500).
Brunswijk has lived an extraordinary life. He was a former rebel soldier who formed the Surinamese Liberation Army and played a major role in a civil war that lasted six years.
Following the war, he was arrested for drug trafficking in the Netherlands and three years later bought a football club, made himself president and named the stadium after himself.
Brunswijk’s chaotic antics continued in 2005 when he was suspended for allegedly threatening an opposition player with a gun. In 2012, he was again suspended for verbally abusing a referee.
Image source: @TheSun
Video source: @FootyAccums
