Applause in Mapi León

BarcelonaBefore Mapi León scored the equaliser against Madrid CFF, Johan Cruyff's crowd had already applauded him and had also chanted his name in the 4th minute, the number on his jersey. As always, as if nothing had happened. Something is going terribly wrong if A player touches another player's private parts –everyone can see it in some images that went viral and that although they were not unequivocal, they are clear enough– and the next thing is shouts and applause, as if nothing happened.

What has already stopped being normalized in society, despite the expected reaction of the ultras, misogynists and sexists, should not be naturalized in the world of football. If we had already learned the "sister, I do believe you" I do not understand how Daniela Caracas can be questioned. Dolors Ribalta, director of women's football at Espanyol, was blunt: "Daniela has told us very clearly that there was a touch." And Mapi León's statement linking her case to the trial of Luis Rubiales and pointing to a campaign to damage her image affects the same old narrative: that women make up. Seriously, let's stop for a moment: What interest can Daniela Caracas have in claiming that Mapi touched her private parts? Now it turns out that the Colombian footballer is an undercover agent for Rubiales, Vilda, Luque and company?

The wave of hate on social media promoted by the usual scum has been joined by the bufanders, who are capable of defending anything if they wear their shield and the colors of their shirt. And the necessary complaints about the use of the touch with the aim of minimizing sexist, structural violence, adding more fuel to the fire in the terrible phobia towards the LGBTIQ+ community, cannot, or should not be able to, cover up the fact that a footballer, Daniela Caracas, claims that Mapi León violated her privacy. Nor is it understood that the response of the Barça fans just a week later was to applaud and chant her name, to support her without reservations. I insist: what we no longer tolerate as a society cannot be overlooked or justified so that there is a soccer ball involved, high heart rates and emotions on the surface. And if it helps: Daniela, I do believe you.