La Liga

A SPANISH footballer has been found guilty of sexually abusing a rival team mascot as he led his team out for a LaLiga match.Former Spain U21 ace Hugo Mallo, who was captaining Celta Vigo at the time, was convicted of groping his victim’s breasts during an official greeting before the match started.Hugo Mallo has been found guilty of sexually abusing a rival mascotCredit: GettyHe was convicted of groping the mascot’s breasts under their costumeCredit: GettyHe was fined £5,065 and ordered to pay his victim £845 in damages by a court in Barcelona.Defender Mallo, 33, now plays for Greek side Aris Salonika.In an 11-page ruling released today following the footballer’s one-day trial on July 11, sentencing judge Salvador Roig Tejedor ruled Mallo had committed the illicit act in April 2019 “with the intention of satisfying his libidinous desires” before his then-team’s away match against Espanyol.The victim was working as one of two mascots for the Catalan side and was wearing a parakeet costume.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThe judge said in his written sentence: “It has been proven that the accused, Hugo M.N, around 8.30pm on April 24 2019, when he was captain of Celta Vigo Football Club, put his hand under the parakeet outfit of the female mascot and touched her breasts.“He did this as he greeted the members of rival team Espanyol and their mascots when he reached the spot where the female mascot was.“He acted with the intention of satisfying his libidinous desire and undermining his victim’s sexual integrity, obliging her to step back and push the accused away with her right hand.”Mallo had denied any wrongdoing and insisted he greeted his victim in the normal way with a handshake.Most read in FootballCCTV footage examined by investigators showed him with his hand on the mascot’s waist in what was described as a “contradiction” in his evidence although police weren’t able to see the sex crime in the videos they watched.The judge described the victim’s account of events as “firm and vehement.”Where are they now: The unusual careers of former footballersMallo has been offered the chance to appeal his sentence and fine.Espanyol fans have long been called Los Periquitos – Spanish for Parakeets – due to the fugitive birds that lived in the trees around its old stadium. More

REAL MADRID have been forced to shut down their training ground stadium due to a fungus problem.The closure of Di Stefano stadium will affect the Los Blancos reserve team, Real Madrid Castilla.Real Madrid have been forced to shut down their training ground stadium Di Stefano due to a fungus problemCredit: ReutersThe closure of the stadium will effect Real Madrid’s reserve team Castilla who play their home games at the groundCredit: ReutersCastilla who usually play their home games at the ground were set to host their next home match this Sunday, September 15 against Betis Deportivo.Instead, the reserve team will now play their match on Field 7 in Valdebebas – another pitch at Real Madrid’s extensive training complex.According to Spanish outlet Marca the fungus has “sickened” the pitch to the point where it is unfit for play.To restore the pitch, a treatment is necessary that will temporarily prevent access to the Di Stefano as part of the maintenance process.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLThe pitch was noticeably in bad condition last Saturday at Castilla’s first home game against Ibiza.Castilla’s next home clash after Betis is not until September 28 when they hope the ground will be ready to use once again.The club has notified its fans about Castilla’s venue change.Due to the limited capacity of Field 7, members who wish to attend must request a free ticket for the Betis match by calling the Member Service Line.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSMembers can also request an additional ticket for a companion, provided the companion is also a member. However, ticket offices will distribute tickets on a first-come, first-served basis until they are sold out.Watch Jude Bellingham’s expletive-laden instructions to Mbappe and Co at half-time of Real Madrid drawReal Madrid are also set to face Sporting Club de Portugal in the second round of the UEFA Women’s Champions League at the Di Stefano later this month.THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY..The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheSunFootball and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunFootball. More