Espanyol call for action over crotch-touching incident in derby against Barcelona
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Women's Champions League - Group D - Manchester City v FC Barcelona - Manchester City Academy Stadium, Manchester, Britain - October 9, 2024 FC Barcelona's Mapi Leon Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith/File Photo
:Spanish soccer club Espanyol on Monday have called for action against Barcelona defender Mapi Leon for inappropriately touching their player Daniela Caracas during Sunday's Catalan derby in Liga F.
The incident occurred 15 minutes after kickoff when video footage of the broadcast seems to show Barca and Spain international Leon briefly touching Caracas in the crotch area while saying something to her as they lined up inside the box for a set piece.
Espanyol stated their "total discontent and condemnation" of Leon's actions that they considered to be a "violation of Caracas' intimacy", adding that they will back the Colombian defender should she wish to take legal action.
Later on Monday Leon issued a statement denying any wrondoing, saying that "under no circumstances would I ever think of touching the private parts of any of my female colleagues".
She called the incident "a simple game move that does not deserve the publicity or the importance it is gaining."
"This is an action that we consider unacceptable and should not go unnoticed," Espanyol said in a statement on Monday.
"During a play, FC Barcelona player Maria Pilar Leon, in the middle of a clash with our player, Daniela Caracas, made a gesture that violated the intimacy of our player.
"Although Caracas, at the time, was unable to react due to the impact of the situation; later, when she assimilated what happened, she became aware of the seriousness of the gesture, but chose not to react angrily to avoid a disciplinary sanction that would harm the team.
"RCD Espanyol defend our player and condemn any act that threatens the integrity of the players on the pitch. We firmly believe in respect and sportsmanship as fundamental values in football and we hope that this type of situation will be treated with the seriousness it deserves.
"In addition, we have made the Club's legal services available to our player should she wish to take legal action."
The game was goalless at the time of the incident, with champions Barcelona later winning the game 2-0.
They are top of Liga F, five points ahead of Real Madrid, while Espanyol are 13th in the 16-team table.
