Pinilla denies Celta scandal reports

Reports in Spain stated that a group of Celta players broke a club curfew by staying up into the early hours of last Sunday morning after the side's 1-0 defeat to Real Betis, and then tried to smuggle women into the team hotel.

Pinilla has hit back at the reports insisting that while he did stay up with his team-mates, there was nothing sinister to the incident.

"I can't deny that I was out with some of my team-mates until 2.30 am in the morning," he explained.

"We went out to have a drink and we stayed up late talking, but many other things have been said that really bother me.

"Two days went by and nobody from Celta has phoned me to saying anything."

Pinilla, who is on loan at the Balaidos from Internazionale, was implicated in the stories with Argentine Fernando Caceres, but the Chilean's father has sprung to his son's defence.

"Mauricio maybe went out with some of his team-mates but he is not the organiser of all the things that have been reported in the Spanish and Chilean media," he blasted.

"It really bothers him that when anything is said about him the Chilean press creates a scandal.

"If this continues in this way Mauricio could quit playing for the national team. It's not fair."