In 2022, Spanish women's football experienced an unprecedented internal upheaval. Fifteen players from the national team, including Mapi León, decided to step aside and withdraw from the Spanish national team squad to denounce what they considered an environment harmful to their emotional and athletic health. The gesture, unprecedented until then, called into question Jorge Vilda's leadership and the lack of professionalism within the Spanish Football Federation. This resignation was a declaration of principles: they demanded better working conditions, a more prepared coaching staff, and a modern structure that would match the players' level. Over time, some returned, but Mapi León remained steadfast in her decision. What has changed that prompted her to return for the latest call-up?

Barça defender Mapi León has been sanctioned with two matches by the Disciplinary Committee of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, which entered ex officio for appreciate the gesture towards the Colombian Espanyol player Daniela Caracas during the Catalan derby on February 9. The club decided to leave her in the stands just before the match against Atlético de Madrid, understanding that the sanction was effective.

Six goals against Wolfsburg in the Champions League, six goals against Atlético Madrid in La Liga. Barça is on a steady pace in all competitions and shows its character with two deserving wins after losing to Real Madrid in La Liga a few weeks ago. Today, Atlético, their opponent in the Copa del Rey final and one of the few teams that usually stands up to them, has become a plaything in the hands of a team on a roll. With five games left in La Liga, Barça is four points ahead of the Real Madrid team.

Before 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.

Before 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.

Elbow strikes, pulling down trousers, pinching and even touching of the genitals. "As a centre-back, when I was going to finish a corner they stuck a finger up my arse," says Joan (fictitious name) in a conversation with ARA. Roberto, Carlos and Lucas (also fictitious names) are other people who have suffered this type of gesture. All four agree that the behaviour occurs during the moments before a corner or a dead ball is taken. The same thing that happened in the action between Mapi León and Daniela Caracas, in the women's derby last weekend. When the game stops, the areas are transformed into a trench war. Each battle is an attempt to destabilize the opponent physically and psychologically. The players act in the theater of intimidation. For his part, the referee tries to uncover the forest of deceptions and traps of the athletes.

While the trial for "sexual assault" of Luis Rubiales is taking place, we find the case of Mapi León, who, allegedly, during a match, touches the genitals of her rival. Both alleged "aggressors" (sic) deny, in different ways, the alleged events.

Luis 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.

"We want to express our rejection of any form of violence." Espanyol has denounced in a statement the gesture made by the Barça defender Mapi León towards the player of the Blanquiazul team Daniela Caracas during the derby this Sunday. In the action, captured by the cameras, it is assumed that the Barça player touches Caracas's genitals and, immediately afterwards, seems to ask him: "Do you have a dick?", according to several users on social networks. Espanyol, in the statement, has classified the events as "unacceptable" and has assured that it cannot go unnoticed.