FILE–The president of the Panamanian Football Federation, Manuel Arias, is pictured after a press conference at the Public Ministry in Panama City on September 3, 2024. (Photo by Martin BERNETTI / AFP)
The Panamanian Football Federation said Thursday FIFA had banned its boss Manuel Arias from performing his functions for six months for calling a player “fat.”
Federation president Arias was sanctioned for using “inappropriate language” about Marta Cox who plays for the Panama national team and for Turkey’s Fenerbahce club.
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Arias had called the 27-year-old “fat” to reporters in March 2023 after the player criticized women’s football in Panama, which has an amateur league where most players do not receive a salary or have access to proper stadiums or training facilities.
FILE–Marta Cox #10 of Panama takes a knee after losing to Brazil 5-0. Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images/AFP
“She is out of shape, she’s fat, she couldn’t move on the field,” Arias said at the time.
Cox threatened to leave the national team, prompting Arias to apologize.
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He has described his choice of words as “very unfortunate” and said Thursday he accepted the sanction for a “serious error committed.”
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