UN: It is urgent to eradicate gender violence in Mexican soccer.
Survey reveals that 78% of women have faced aggression
UN: It is urgent to eradicate gender violence in Mexican soccer.
He calls on authorities to strengthen protocols to combat it, as the grievances are on the fields, training grounds and in the stands.
▲ An example of the problem was that of Americanist Scarlett Camberos, who suffered constant cyberbullying, a situation that forced her to leave the country for a time. Photo @americafemenil
Erendira Palma Hernández
La Jornada Newspaper, Friday, July 18, 2025, p. a10
Gender-based violence in soccer is so normalized that any woman is at risk. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) issued an urgent call for managers and authorities to adequately address and prevent these cases. After conducting a survey of 60 people, mostly women, involved in Mexican soccer, 78 percent of whom had faced everything from verbal abuse to sexual harassment.
Basically, any woman in the field of soccer can be a victim of gender-based violence
, lamented Sol Sánchez, national officer of the Gender Equality Unit.
The results report, titled "Red Card for Gender-Based Violence," confirms the attacks that female players, referees, journalists, and transgender women have faced in soccer. In many cases, they have remained silent out of fear or ignorance of support protocols.
Verbal violence, which was the most reported at 72 percent, occurs with humiliation, disqualification, or exclusion that enforces gender stereotypes
.
Although the survey did not identify specific cases, 41 percent reported having faced sexual harassment, ranging from touching and gestures of that nature to obscene comments.
“I played soccer for over 20 years. One of my first coaches asked me to kiss him every day. I was 15; he was an adult of over 30. As time went on, I learned that he had sex with several of my teammates, until he got one of them pregnant.
Also, I had others who, during hazing, asked other players to undress us and took us to public places in our underwear
, one of the respondents said anonymously.
Other types of violence reported included physical assault, discrimination based on sexual orientation, cyberbullying, threats or intimidation, and mansplaining —when men explain a topic to women as if they couldn't possibly understand it simply because of their gender.
The perpetrators are the male fans—with discriminatory or aggressive comments and chants—followed by coaches and managers, who are guilty of inaction, players, and the media. The attacks are reported both on the fields and training grounds, as well as in the stands.
The report also confirmed the fear or apprehension of reporting these cases, as 36 percent indicated they received no support when they spoke out after suffering an assault.
Serious consequences
We saw widespread fear of reporting due to retaliation and the implications for the victims. There are serious psychological, emotional, and professional consequences. Most (of the victims) have sought mental health support and have also seen their performance and participation in sports diminished
, Sánchez explained.
While the organization acknowledged that the survey, which received responses from 60 people, is not representative, it can be considered valuable qualitative evidence and is also pioneering for this type of study
.
Gender violence in soccer is a systemic failure
, Sánchez added. For sports authorities, the call is that zero-tolerance policies and pronouncements are necessary
.
Among the recommendations are legal reforms to promote gender equality, strengthening and promoting protocols, promoting gender awareness and sensitization workshops, fostering female leadership and safe spaces where players can express themselves without fear of retaliation, conducting public campaigns that challenge and highlight normalized sexist expressions in football, and creating support funds for female athletes.
She recommended gender awareness and information for journalists and commentators in the media, as well as workshops on inclusive language and working on responsible coverage, free of gender stereotypes and focusing on the achievements of female athletes. She asked internet users and fans to use social media to spread positive and supportive messages about women in football, rejecting online harassment and violence.
Several cases of gender-based violence have been reported in national soccer; one of the most painful was the murder of Marbella Ibarra, founder of the Tijuana women's team and former sports director. Another incident was the cyberbullying suffered by American player Scarlett Camberos, which led the Águilas to develop a protocol with the support of the National Commission to Prevent and Eradicate Violence against Women.
One of the most controversial was the complaint filed in 2022 alleging sexual harassment within the U-20 women's national team. While the Mexican Football Federation opened an investigation and stated that no such assault took place, it did dismiss the coaching staff, then headed by Maribel Domínguez, for incurring in omissions.
Women's soccer has a unique quality: it calls attention to the problems we face in society. We don't hide; this is who we are, and this is how we want to be respected. This can have a huge impact. The men's World Cup will be played here, and we can use these issues to develop women's soccer
, emphasized Andrea Rodebaugh, director of national teams.
Olivia Smith sets a signing record
AP and Europa Press
La Jornada Newspaper, Friday, July 18, 2025, p. a10
London. A new record has been set in women's soccer. Canadian forward Olivia Smith became the most expensive player ever, leaving Liverpool to sign a contract with Arsenal for £1 million ($1.34 million).
The deal would surpass the £900,000 ($1.1 million) Chelsea paid in January for Naomi Girma from the San Diego Wave.
She is one of our most talented young players and has huge potential to develop further here at the club
, said Clare Wheatley, Arsenal's women's development manager.
Smith's signing highlights the rising spending in women's football, where transfer records have regularly been broken in recent times.
The development of women's soccer is also reflected in match attendance, as has been the case with the current edition of Euro 2025, which has had large crowds. One example is yesterday's match, when more than 22,000 people watched England defeat Sweden to advance to the semifinals.
With goals from Lucy Bronze (79) and Michelle Agyemang (81), the British side salvaged a 2-2 draw in injury time to take the match to a penalty shootout. The Lionesses will now face Italy.
Meanwhile, Spain, the reigning world champion, will seek a place today against host Switzerland, while Germany, the competition's biggest winner, will face France on Saturday.
"For us, it's about continuing to make history. We've won a World Cup, the Nations Championship , we're having a great tournament; now comes the best," said Spain's Aitana Bonmatí.
▲ Diego Campillo, Efraín Álvarez, Javier Mier (sports director), Bryan González, and Richard Ledezma, yesterday during the presentation. Photo @Chivas
Karla Torrijos
La Jornada Newspaper, Friday, July 18, 2025, p. a11
With the mission of regaining prominence in Mexican soccer, Chivas yesterday presented its four reinforcements for the current Apertura 2025 tournament: Efraín Álvarez, Diego Campillo, Richard Ledezma and Bryan González, who assured that their main objective is to be crowned champions with the red and white team, currently managed by Argentine Gabriel Milito.
During the presentation, held at Akron Stadium and broadcast on the Guadalajara club's social media, sporting director Javier Mier stated, "We want to have a team that's a leader and balanced, and these four players fit the profile we're looking for.
“We want players who want to come to Chivas, who are committed and know what it means to wear this jersey, because not just anyone can do it.
We know where we're going. We want to establish solid foundations, always strive for the top, but take it step by step. The important thing is for the crest to shine; our responsibility is to contribute to strengthening the club's greatness.
For his part, Mexican-American Álvarez, a youth player for the LA Galaxy of Major League Soccer (MLS) and who joined Guadalajara from Xolos de Tijuana, commented: "I'm very happy to be here. Since I was a child, my father was a Chivista, and my dream was to play for this team. That first dream has already been achieved; now we're going for the second, which is the championship
."
At the time, Ledezma, also a Mexican and American national, who played for PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands League, both in the first team and in the lower categories, said: "I've wanted to wear this shirt since I was little. It's a very beautiful thing for me and my family; we want to achieve many things with this squad. I had no doubts when they called me. We're going to go for the 13th (star) this year and we're going to give it our all
."
The Rojiblanco youth player, Campillo, who returned to the team after two years with FC Juárez, expressed his confidence in the new coaching staff. "I'm committed; I believe in the project. We have a squad that can compete with anyone. It's a very complete team that will fight for everything, and we'll prove it on the field
."
In turn, González, who joined the Guadalajara team from Pachuca, believed the current squad has the potential to be a protagonist in the tournament once again. "I know what the club is looking for and what I want to contribute. I come with that desire and hunger to be a champion at Chivas, to put the team back in the top spots
."
After postponing its matchday one match against Tigres due to renovations at Akron Stadium, one of the venues for the 2026 World Cup, Guadalajara will debut in the tournament this Saturday when it visits León at the Nou Camp in a matchday two match.
On the other hand, the president of Liga MX, Mikel Arriola, confirmed that the organization is valued at $13 billion, according to a calculation made last year by the American investment fund Apollo Global Management, which was interested in participating in Mexican soccer; however, the transaction fell through due to a lack of agreement between the team owners.
The fact that an investment fund valued us a few months ago at approximately $13 billion is not without reason; it is the result of the owners' efforts and the corporate and transparency reforms, as well as the commitment to internationalization
, said the leader yesterday at the presentation of Querétaro's new owners, led by American businessman Marc Spiegel.
He also indicated that the sale of Gallos Blancos for $120 million (according to various reports) is a sign of the growing interest in Mexican soccer in international markets.
Ap
La Jornada Newspaper, Friday, July 18, 2025, p. a11
Buenos Aires, Argentina, The Argentine Football Association (AFA) announced yesterday an ambitious plan for the gradual return of visiting fans to local league matches, marking 12 years since a restriction that unsuccessfully sought to end stadium violence.
Claudio Tapia, president of the club, said in a press conference that the kickoff will take place this Saturday when Lanús hosts Rosario Central for the second matchday of the First Division Clausura tournament.
"It's a day that marks a turning point in our football
," Tapia emphasized. "It's the type of football (on the road) we all grew accustomed to as kids. We have to get back to that path
."
The leader clarified that the return of visitors will be gradual and will not be mandatory: Clubs that are able and want to welcome visiting fans will be able to do so
.
The choice of Lanús-Rosario Central as a pilot test match wasn't a random one. The ban on visiting fans in the First Division tournament was implemented in 2013 after the murder of a Garnet
fan while police were trying to break up a confrontation with Estudiantes fans.
Buenos Aires security authorities imposed the ban, which was later followed by the rest of the districts. While the measure sought to end stadium violence, it failed to achieve its goal, as more deaths subsequently occurred in the context of internal disputes among the so-called barrabravas .
Meanwhile, Saturday's match will mark the first away match for Ángel di María, a Central winger and key player for the Argentine national team that won the World Cup in Qatar 2022. He returned to the country after nearly two decades in Europe.
The AFA announced that 6,500 Rosario fans will be able to occupy the Lanús away section under a strict security protocol, which includes designated tickets so that fans attending are properly identified.
The idea isn't to go back to what we had before, because there's a reason visitors were sent away
, emphasized Buenos Aires Security Minister Javier Alonso. We have to banish the culture of violence. It's sad to see 10-year-olds singing about drugs or that someone needs to be killed. It has to be a family celebration, with flags and drums
.
For the time being, the measure will apply to Buenos Aires, although Tapia revealed that other provinces have expressed a willingness to join.
The plan, however, has raised questions. Opposition groups to the current government have warned that police officers cannot be assigned to guard visiting fans, to the detriment of citizens concerned about a growing wave of insecurity.
The highest-paid defensive player
▲ Photo Ap
Ap
La Jornada Newspaper, Friday, July 18, 2025, p. a11
The Pittsburgh Steelers made star defensive end TJ Watt the highest-paid player in the NFL after reaching an agreement that will keep him with the team. The 30-year-old Watt, who is set to enter the final season of his four-year extension in 2021, is scheduled to earn $123 million over the course of a three-year deal, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press.
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