“What should have been one of the happiest days of our lives ended up marred by anguish and fear.” Cristina Palavra, partner of the footballer Dani Rodríguez, thus defines the moments of concern that she went through along with other women when, leaving the King Abdullah stadium in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) after the Super Cup match between RCD Mallorca and Real Madrid, they suffered the harassment and touching by local spectators who began to scold them under the pretext of taking a photo with them. They have decided to raise their voices while the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) remains silent at the official level: it has not issued any statement about what happened and neither the organization nor its president, Rafael Louzán, have publicly condemned the events.
Since the episode took place, the organization has made statements to various specialized media. And this Tuesday, sources from the RFEF told elDiario.es that it is necessary to “differentiate well” between “harassment, which is always linked to sexual matters,” and “overwhelm,” which was what, they add, those affected felt when They were overwhelmed by the “turmoil,” even though relatives and fans of the vermilion club reported touching the women. “What everyone has said is a bit mixed,” they emphasize.
From the Federation they assure that since the situation occurred “they were always in contact with Mallorca to see how it had happened and the Saudi authorities were informed.” “We obviously regret that someone may have felt that way, but we also do not have much more information apart from what those affected themselves say,” the RFEF emphasizes, which describes the event as an “absolutely specific event” given the high security that , he alleges, provides the country in these types of events. The Federation estimates that there were more than 1,500 police officers in the semi-finals, a figure that rose to around 2,000 in the Super Cup final between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid.
“There were many women and children and sometimes situations occur in football that may not be very pleasant,” the organization emphasizes, insisting that what happened at the exit of the stadium was “a specific thing that has already been resolved.”
While those responsible remain – officially – silent, the Federation issued a press release this Monday in which, far from mentioning the facts, it stated that, since the arrival of the Spanish Super Cup to the Asian country in 2020, The impulse given to women’s football is manifested from the base “with training, analysis, methodology and physical training for the coaches as well as good facilities and equipment for the players.” “Saudi Arabia’s commitment to women’s football is total,” stressed the statement from Spanish coach Ana Ecube.
Playing the Super Cup in a country that violates rights
The episode has generated severe criticism from different areas regarding the safety of fans and women in general in Saudi Arabia, also taking into account that it will also host the 2034 World Cup. According to the analysis of Amnesty International, The violation of human and migrant rights is the order of the day while there are continuous attacks on freedom of expression, arbitrary detentionstrials without guarantees, torture and discrimination against women and the LGTBQ+ community.
The event has also reopened the controversy over the decision of former RFEF president Luis Rubiales to bring the Super Cup to the Arab country as a result of an agreement that is currently under investigation for alleged crimes of business corruption and unfair administration.
“Playing in the Final Four of the Spanish Super Cup is an immense source of pride and an unforgettable chapter in my husband’s career. Therefore, when that special moment arrived, we did not hesitate as a family to embark on a long journey to Jeddha. It was the opportunity to be there, accompanying Dani Rodríguez, because these are the moments that you always dream of living, the ones that make you feel that all the effort has been worth it,” Palavra said this Monday on his Instagram account. The vermilion team ended up losing the semifinals, but the incident suffered by the soccer players’ partners ended up tarnishing any glimmer of happiness for having participated in the competition. “When we left the game, instead of feeling safe, we experienced moments of real panic,” says Palavra.
And she continues: “Not only did they harass us with their cell phones, surrounding us while I carried my small children in my arms, but they also slapped some fans. We were very afraid, as if we had been sent to the slaughterhouse, exposed to a situation that should never have been allowed. “We were deeply disappointed by the RFEF.”
Cristina Palavra: “It seems that money weighs more”
However, Palavra assures that at no time did they feel that they were protected or the necessary measures were taken to guarantee the safety of the fans who, like them, had “traveled far from home to enjoy a unique moment.” “We were left with the bitter feeling that we were abandoned when we most needed support and organization. “It is difficult to understand how such an important tournament for Spanish football is played so far from our land and, even more so, how it seems that money outweighs the lives of those who decide to travel to support their teams.”
The affected person asserts that the only thing they ask is that the fans, “those people who give everything for the love of football, be protected and cared for, because their well-being should come before any economic interest.” “We keep the good, but we cannot ignore what happened. The RFEF must understand that there is no figure that is worth more than the safety and tranquility of the fans. It left us with a bittersweet taste, but it also reaffirmed the importance of raising our voices so that football is what it should be: a party, a reason for unity and happiness, not fear and uncertainty. No matter how much money they give, you should not look away,” he says.
For her part, lawyer María José López, one of the most prominent experts in the regulation of women’s sports and the rights of athletes, criticizes the fact that the Super Cup is held in a country in which “there is no real equality.” of women’s rights with respect to men and in which the respect and dignity of women is lacking due to the fact of being a woman.” Starting from this fact, he also regrets the events suffered by the partners of the players in an area, that of sport, which tries to project itself “as a confluence of values”, mainly in an event “so high in the media and referential throughout the world.” .
María José López, lawyer: “We cannot accept these behaviors”
“The serious thing about these things is when there is discrimination due to gender. We live in a globalized world in which there are many cultures and many different opinions, and, at least from our perspective, the Western one, we are clear that there can be no discrimination based on sex or gender. We cannot accept that type of behavior and, unfortunately, in countries like Arabia that respect is not given,” López explains.
The lawyer, author of the book Women, sport and discriminationremembers “when the previous president of the Federation [en referencia a Luis Rubiales] He said that Saudi Arabia was going to be very good for us because we are going to ensure that there is equality and that women do not feel discriminated against. Obviously, that is very good on paper, but it is not a reality.” In this context, he recognizes that, beyond the work of non-governmental organizations and international organizations, “it is very difficult for another country to try to influence a change of paradigm in another country.” Therefore, to be “coherent”, it advocates establishing relations with other States as long as they respect certain principles that are supposed to be universal.”
“Maybe other people wouldn’t mind meeting a dictator, but I wouldn’t meet him until his country changes the rules of the game and becomes a democratic country. Sometimes reality has been changed. But it is very difficult for a country to try to change another country, its birthplace and its history,” he says.
#Federation #wives #Mallorca #footballers #Saudi #Arabia #confused #harassment #burden
