Barcelona star Mapi Leon breaks silence after ‘sick’ act goes viral

The Barcelona star who left football world left horrified by a disgusting act and alleged slur has addressed the drama. WARNING: Distressing content.

WARNING: This story contains content that some may find distressing.

Barcelona star Mapi Leon has rejected claims she inappropriately touched Espanyol’s Daniela Caracas during a Spanish women’s league game.

In a video that has been widely circulated online, Leon appeared to touch a rival player’s private parts and made a comment towards her.

After the game, the alleged action was condemned by Espanyol as “unacceptable”.

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But in a statement released by Barcelona on Wednesday (AEDT) Leon said it never happened.

“I touch her leg,” Leon said. “There is no touching of an intimate area, much less any intention to do so. I insist it’s a simple moment of the game that doesn’t deserve the repercussion or importance that this is acquiring.

“In no circumstance would it occur to me to touch the private parts of any of my colleagues, it goes against my principles and I will never do it.”

Video from the match shows Leon and Caracas jostling for position away from the ball.

You can watch the troubling incident in the video player above.

Barcelona's Mapi Leon's inappropriate act. Photo: X and Liga F.

Leon then stops in her tracks and touches her opponent with her right hand.

She also appeared to say something to her opponent. Spanish media and social media amateur lip readers reported the slur as being: “Tienes picha?”

That would traslate into English as “Have you got a d**k?”

The 29-year-old, however, said she told Caracas: “What’s wrong with you?”

The Spanish international also claimed the reports of the incident “only seeks to damage my image and principles.”

“I am very upset and disappointed, and that is why I reserve the right to take legal action against whoever tries to take advantage of this game moment to harm me and defame me based on unfounded evidence.”

But Barcelona’s city rivals Espanyol said Leon’s actions “violated the privacy” of its defender and the club has made its legal services available to Caracas “in case she wishes to take legal action.”

The Catalan club said in a statement: “We would like to express our total discontent and condemnation of the events that took place yesterday during the derby match between RCD Espanyol and Barcelona FC at the Dani Jarque stadium.

“It is an action that we consider unacceptable and that should not go unnoticed.

“During the match, the FC Barcelona player María Pilar Leon, in the middle of a struggle with our player, Daniela Caracas, made a gesture that violated the player’s intimacy.

“At the time Daniela was unable to react because of the impact caused by the situation.

Daniela Caracas marks Mapi Leon.

“Later on 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 and harm the team.

“In addition to what happened on the pitch, there has been a regrettable reaction on social media, where our player has been the target of insults from hundreds of profiles.

“We are concerned that, instead of focusing on the act itself, part of the media attention has been diverted to other issues unrelated to its seriousness.

“RCD Espanyol defends our player and condemns any act that threatens the integrity of the players on the pitch.

Mapi Leon. Photo by KENZO TRIBOUILLARD / AFP.

“We firmly believe in respect and sportsmanship as fundamental values in football and we hope that this type of situation will be treated with the seriousness it deserves.

“Furthermore, we have made the club’s legal services available to our player should she wish to take legal action.

“Likewise, as RCD Espanyol has done on previous occasions, we wish to express our rejection of any form of violence, whether physical or verbal in the world of football.

“Sport should be a place of respect and coexistence, and we condemn any attitude that encourages hatred or aggression on and off the pitch.”

Barcelona won the derby against city rival Espanyol 2-0, with a 73rd-minute goal from Graham Hansen and another three minutes later by Salma Paralluelo.

- with The Sun

Originally published as Barcelona star Mapi Leon breaks silence after ‘sick’ act goes viral