Barcelona’s Maria Pilar Leon has denied accusations of violating Espanyol’s Daniela Caracas’ privacy during their women’s top-flight derby over the weekend.
Video footage appeared to show Leon making contact with Caracas in the groin area while they contested the ball, followed by a remark from Leon.
Espanyol swiftly condemned the incident, calling it a "violation of privacy” and labeling it "unacceptable” behavior that should not be overlooked.
Leon rejected the allegations in a statement issued by Barcelona on Monday night.
"At no time did I, nor was it my intention, infringe upon the intimacy of my fellow professional Daniela Caracas. As the images show, it was part of a playing action in which she deliberately touches me and I touch her leg,” she said.
"There is NO contact with her private parts, and certainly no intention. I insist it was just part of the game that does not warrant the importance that has been attached to it.
"The idea of touching the private parts of a colleague would never enter my head. It goes against my principles, and I would never do such a thing.”
Leon also insisted she had made no abusive remark to Caracas but had simply said, "What’s up with you?”
Espanyol, meanwhile, said that "although Caracas was unable to react at the time due to the impact of the situation, later, after assimilating what had happened, she became aware of the seriousness of the gesture but chose not to react angrily in order to avoid a disciplinary sanction that would harm the team.”
The club also stated that Caracas, who is from Colombia, has been subjected to serious online abuse in the wake of the incident.
"In addition to what happened on the pitch, there was a regrettable response on social media, where our player has been the target of insults from hundreds of profiles,” the club said.
"We are concerned that, instead of focusing on the incident itself, part of the media attention has been diverted to other issues unrelated to the seriousness of the action.”
Leon condemned the harassment Caracas has faced online.
"I condemn the harassment that Daniela appears to have been suffering on social networks, which has nothing to do with me, and I offer her my most sincere support,” she said.