MADRID, 3 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
An independent investigation into American women’s professional soccer has ruled that neither the Federation (US Soccer) nor the National League (NWSL) provided a safe environment for female soccer players and that abuses exist in a “systemic” way.
“Our investigation has revealed a league (NWSL) in which abuse and misconduct — verbal and emotional abuse and sexual misconduct — had become systemic, encompassing multiple teams, coaches and victims,” the report released Monday said. over 300 pages long and led by former Acting Attorney General Sally Q. Yates
The investigation, based on more than 200 interviews, notes that abuse in the NWSL “has its roots in a deeper culture in women’s soccer, beginning in the youth leagues, that normalizes verbally abusive coaching and blurs the lines between coaches and players”.
“In more than 200 interviews, we heard report after report of relentless and demeaning tirades; manipulation that was about power, not performance enhancement; and retaliation against those who tried to come forward,” this report underscores.
However, he stresses that “even more disturbing were the stories of sexual misconduct.” “Players described a pattern of sexually charged comments, unwanted sexual advances and sexual touching, and coercive sexual intercourse,” she notes.
“These findings are heartbreaking and deeply concerning. The abuse described is inexcusable and has no place on any playing field, training facility or workplace. As the national governing body of our sport, US Soccer is fully committed to doing everything do whatever it takes to ensure that all players, at all levels, have a safe and respectful place to learn, grow and compete,” said US Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone.
According to the ‘CNN’ chain, this report comes to light approximately a year after one of ‘The Athletic’ appeared detailing the accusations of sexual coercion and misconduct against Paul Riley, coach of three NWSL franchises for eight seasons and that he was fired by North Carolina Courage after knowing this information, although the technician denied the accusations.
Following that report, the NWSL commissioner resigned and the league canceled all games scheduled for that weekend. By year’s end, half of the league’s teams had parted ways with their coaches over player complaints, Yates’ research found.