Mapi León feels like a collateral victim in the trial against Rubiales

BarcelonaLuis Rubiales and other former officials of the Spanish Football Federation face these days the trial for sexual assault and coercion Following the non-consensual kiss by the former president of the RFEF on Jenni Hermoso. Amid the great media attention that the case has aroused, the Barça women's team played on Sunday A very heated derby against Espanyol, in which the least important thing ended up being the favourable result for Pere Romeu's team. The hangover from this match was marked by a few seconds of television footage in which the Barça defender Mapi León was seen allegedly touching the vagina of the Perica player Daniela Caracas. Espanyol considers that León violated Caracas' privacy, while Barça, eight hours after the reaction of its city rival, released a letter from the Zaragoza player in which she denied any genital touching. Along the way, the Barcelona club had to delete a tweet with a photo of León showing two fingers.

In her public statement, León is particularly hurt by the timing of the controversy. She believes that it has been "generated on social media" as a result of a "game situation" and implicitly links her to the trial that could result in a conviction for Rubiales, Rubén Rivera, Jorge Vilda and Albert Luque. "Noise and controversy have been generated around the name that only seeks to damage my image and principles, thus spreading news and acts manipulated for other purposes that are evident in the week we are in." The Barça centre-back is not referring in this last assertion to the two Copa de la Reina and Liga matches that her team will play against Madrid CFF this week, but to the great media attention that is being aroused by the proceedings against RFEF officials who she has defied by not attending the call-ups of the Spanish national team since what was popularly known as the scandal broke out. the fifteen o'clock riot.

Mapi León, the last of the fifteen resisters

Mapi León not only denies the touching in Caracas (she places it on the leg, not the genitals), but makes it clear that "it goes against her principles" to touch the private parts of any female soccer player without her consent, which implicitly also points to Rubiales, who has always maintained that his little beak Hermoso in the celebration of the 2023 World Cup was previously spoiled by the Madrid forward. The Barça player also shows her support for Caracas for the criticism and attacks she is receiving from fans who align themselves with her position and also with that of Barça, which is a gesture of empathy towards a rival with whom she had to face each other on the pitch. We must not forget that she had a brief past of one season defending the blue and white colors before joining Atlético de Madrid, where she established herself in the professional elite.

As for the criticism that León receives, there are many that recall his resistance to going to the Spanish national team, a position that has remained intact since the quarter-finals of the Euro 2022. The former international was part of a shared struggle with 14 other footballers who refused to attend the call-ups until. As weeks and months went by, and as the World Cup that Spain would end up winning in Australia approached, certain players – including Aitana Bonmatí and Alexia Putellas – returned to Jorge Vilda's lists. On the other hand, Mapi resigned from the World Cup and did not return to Spain after the change of coach, now with Montse Tomé on the bench. He continues to believe that the RFEF has not caught up with the players' demands.

Espanyol leaves it in the hands of Caracas

For its part, Espanyol has no intention of reporting the situation to the RFEF because it is not "an action of the game." Official sources from the entity assure that Caracas has asked for "distance and calm," without ruling out further actions that depend on the player's will.