"Why Touch There After Kicking the Ball?"... Spanish Women's Soccer in Uproar Over Inappropriate Contact

Caught on Broadcast Appearing to Touch Groin Area
Clarifies: "I Only Touched Her Leg"

During a Spanish women's soccer match, a player was caught on broadcast making inappropriate physical contact with an opposing player, sparking controversy.

On the 11th (Korean time), according to the British BBC and others, on the 9th, rival teams FC Barcelona and Espanyol, both based in Barcelona, played a match in Liga F, the top women's soccer league in Spain.

During the match, a player was accused of touching the opponent's groin, sparking controversy in the Spanish women's football community. Broadcast video capture

In the 15th minute of the first half, as Barcelona was preparing a set-piece attack, Barcelona's Spanish national team defender Mapi Le?n and Espanyol's Colombian national team defender Daniela Caracas contested and engaged in a physical tussle.

Subsequently, Le?n was seen on the broadcast footage appearing to touch Caracas's groin area.

This scene quickly spread on social media, with some posts containing mockery directed at Caracas.

Espanyol issued a statement saying, "(Le?n's actions) are behavior we cannot tolerate and must not overlook," criticizing that "Le?n violated Caracas's privacy." They also expressed concern that media attention was being diverted to issues unrelated to the seriousness of the misconduct.

Le?n denied any inappropriate physical contact. In a statement, she said, "As can be seen in the video, Caracas made contact with me first, and I only touched her leg in response while saying 'What's wrong?'" She added, "My actions were part of the game." She further stated, "I never touched Caracas's private area nor intended to do so," and "The harassment Caracas is facing on social media has nothing to do with me, and I sincerely support her."

Le?n, who came out as a lesbian in 2018, has led Barcelona to five league titles and three UEFA Women's Champions League (UWCL) titles.

Caracas contributed to Colombia's advancement to the quarterfinals of the 2023 Australia-New Zealand Women's World Cup.