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Espanyol have expressed their “complete discontent and condemnation” of an “unacceptable” incident in which the Barcelona defender Mapi León appeared to gesture towards the crotch area of their player Daniela Caracas during the Liga F match between the sides on Sunday.
The incident, which Espanyol said “should not be overlooked”, occurred in the first half of the derby when León was being marked by Caracas before a set piece was taken. León has since denied touching Caracas’s crotch or having any intention to do so.
“During the match, FC Barcelona player María Pilar León, while jostling with Daniela Caracas, made a gesture with her hand that violated the intimacy of our player,” Espanyol said on Monday in a statement.
“Although Caracas was unable to react at the time due to the impact of the situation, later, after assimilating what had happened, she became aware of the seriousness of the gesture, but chose not to react angrily in order to avoid a disciplinary sanction that would harm the team.”
In a statement released via Barcelona’s website later on Monday, León, 29, said: “At no time did I, nor was it my intention, infringe upon the intimacy of my fellow professional Daniela Caracas.
“As the images show, it was part of a playing action in which she deliberately touches me and I touch her leg saying in reaction to the clash: “what’s up with you”. There is NO contact with her private parts, and certainly no intention. I insist, it was just part of the game that does not warrant the importance that has been attached to it.
“The idea of touching the private parts of a colleague would never enter my head, it goes against my principles and I would never do such a thing.”
As part of their statement Espanyol condemned “any act that threatens the integrity of footballers on the field” and said they “hope these types of situations are treated with the seriousness they deserve”. The club added that they have made their legal services available to Caracas “in the event that she wish to take legal action”.
Since the incident Caracas, 27, has been subject to abuse on social media from “hundreds of profiles”, according to Espanyol, who expressed their concern that media attention of the incident had been “diverted to other issues unrelated to the seriousness of the action”. The statement continued: “We would like to express our rejection of any form of violence, whether physical or verbal, in the world of football.”
León said: “I condemn the harassment that Daniela appears to have been suffering on social networks, which has nothing to do with me, and I offer her my most sincere support.”
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The Barcelona defender added: “There has been noise and controversy surrounding my name, aimed solely at damaging my image and principles by spreading manipulated news and events for other purposes, evidencing the week that we are in. I am deeply upset and disappointed, and hence reserve the right to take legal action against whomsoever might be seeking to exploit this strictly footballing incident to cause me damage and continue spreading unfounded accusations.”
Barcelona, who are five points clear at the top of Liga F, won the derby 2-0 with goals from Caroline Graham Hansen and Salma Paralluelo.
