Espanyol have called for action against Barcelona defender Mapi Leon for inappropriately touching their player Daniela Caracas during the Catalan derby in Liga F.
The incident occurred 15 minutes after kickoff when video footage of the broadcast seems to show Spain international Leon briefly touching Caracas in the crotch area while saying something to her as they lined up inside the box for a set-piece.
Espanyol stated their "total discontent and condemnation" of Leon's actions that they considered to be a "violation of Caracas' intimacy," adding that they will back the Colombian defender should she wish to take legal action.
Leon denied any wrondoing, saying that "under no circumstances would I ever think of touching the private parts of any of my female colleagues."
She called the incident "a simple game move that does not deserve the publicity or the importance it is gaining."
"This is an action that we consider unacceptable and should not go unnoticed," Espanyol said in a statement. "Although Caracas, at the time, was unable to react due to the impact of the situation; later, when she assimilated what happened, she became aware of the seriousness of the gesture, but chose not to react angrily to avoid a disciplinary sanction that would harm the team."
The game was goalless at the time of the incident, with champions Barcelona later winning the game 2-0.
REUTERS
Mapi Leon
Daniela Caracas
