A BARCELONA Women’s star has been banned for allegedly touching an opponent’s private parts.
The incident happened in February during a match between Barcelona and Espanyol Femení.
Mapi Leon has received a two-match suspension after being found to have deliberately touched Espanyol footballer Daniela Caracas’ genitalia.
TV cameras picked up the moment the pair had a coming together at a corner, with Leon also accused of asking her opponent ‘have you got a d***’.
Leon, 29, denies any wrongdoing, instead claiming she merely touched Caracas’ leg.
The defender said in a statement: “At no time did I, nor was it my intention, infringe upon the intimacy of my fellow professional Daniela Caracas.
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“There is no contact with her private parts, and certainly no intention.
“I insist, it was just part of the game that does not warrant the importance that has been attached to it.”
Leon was charged with unsportsmanlike conduct despite her claim of innocence and will miss matches against Atletico Madrid and Sevilla.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected her appeal.
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Espanyol condemned Leon’s actions and called for it the incident to be addressed seriously.
A statement read: “We would like to express our total discontent and condemnation of the events that took place yesterday during the derby match between RCD Espanyol and Barcelona FC at the Dani Jarque stadium.
“It is an action that we consider unacceptable and that should not go unnoticed.
“During the match, the FC Barcelona player María Pilar Leon, in the middle of a struggle with our player, Daniela Caracas, made a gesture that violated the player’s intimacy.
“RCD Espanyol defends our player and condemns 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.
“Furthermore, we have made the club’s legal services available to our player should she wish to take legal action.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
