Barcelona’s Mapi León has ‘full support’ of coach Pere Romeu

Barcelona coach Pere Romeu has said Mapi León has his full support despite not playing the defender in Wednesday’s Copa de la Reina game following last weekend’s incident against Espanyol.

León has come under scrutiny since images appeared to show her touching Espanyol’s Daniela Caracas in the crotch area during Sunday’s Liga Femenina derby.

Romeu, who benched León in his team’s 2-1 quarterfinal win at Madrid CFF on Wednesday, said after the game: “We thought it was best for her to rest a little.

“It has been a very emotionally intense few days for her. We believed that it was better for other players to play. She has my full support. We are close to her.

We believe her version [of events]. We will support her in everything she needs. She will be available for Sunday’s [Liga Femenina] game [against Madrid CFF].”

Espanyol accused the Barça player of making a gesture which “violated the privacy” of their player.

León denied any wrongdoing and said the incident was a “simple row” and that she touched her opponent’s leg.

No disciplinary proceedings have been opened against León by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and Caracas has so far not taken legal action.

“It is not a pleasant situation for anyone,” León’s teammate Marta Torrejón said on Wednedsay.

“The team is calm, supporting our teammate because these are difficult moments. The case has been left up in the air and it seems that there will be no case.”