THE Spanish Soccer Federation (RFEF) is in bother once more after it shrugged off severe harassment complaints from footballers’ wives throughout the Spanish Tremendous Cup in Saudi Arabia
The companions of footballers from RCD Mallorca revealed they have been harassed and felt up by native followers throughout their semi-final match with Actual Madrid on the King Abdullah stadium Jeddah on January 9.
“What was speculated to be one of many happiest days of our lives ended up being overshadowed by anguish and worry,” Cristina Palavra, the companion of footballer Dani Rodríguez, wrote on Instagram.
“Once we left the match, as a substitute of feeling secure, we suffered moments of true panic.
“Not solely did crowds harass us, surrounding us attempting to take selfies whereas I used to be carrying my babies in my arms, however additionally they slapped among the different Spanish followers.
“We have been extraordinarily scared, as if we had been thrown to the wolves.”
Palavra went on to slam the RFEF for not ‘taking the mandatory measures to guard us or assure the protection of the followers who, like us, had travelled removed from residence to get pleasure from a singular second.’
Formally, the RFEF remained silent on the problem and didn’t not difficulty a press release on what occurred. Nor did new President Rafael Louzan publicly condemn the occasions.
Nonetheless, federation sources responded by telling El Diario that the ladies had merely skilled ‘nervousness’ moderately than harassment.
The supply careworn that it’s essential to ‘clearly differentiate’ between ‘harassment, which is at all times linked to sexuality’, and feeling ‘overwhelmed’, which is ‘what the affected ladies felt’ after they have been in the course of the ‘uproar’.
“What they’ve stated is a bit combined up”, the supply added.
The RFEF later claimed the incident was an remoted occasion, citing the ‘excessive degree of safety’ supplied by Saudi authorities, who deployed over 1,500 law enforcement officials throughout the semi-finals and almost 2,000 for the ultimate.
“We clearly remorse that somebody could have felt that approach, however we shouldn’t have far more data aside from what these affected themselves say,” the RFEF stated.
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It additionally stated the incident was an ‘completely one-off occasion.’
“There have been many ladies and kids, and typically conditions come up in soccer that might not be very nice,” the organisation stated.
The controversy highlights the Federation’s controversial resolution to maneuver the Tremendous Cup to Saudi Arabia, a deal reportedly price €40 million yearly.
Palavra added: “It’s onerous to know how a event of such significance could be performed so removed from residence, and even more durable to see how cash weighs greater than the protection of followers.”
