January 16 – Panama FA president Manuel Arias has been banned for six months by the FIFA Ethics committee for fat-shaming comments he made in an interview about the country’s star women’s striker Marta Cox after Panama were knocked out of the group stage of the Concacaf W Gold Cup last March.
In a statement on X, Arias apologised for the “very unfortunate language used”, that he was aware of his error and that he accepted his punishment.
He stopped short of offering his resignation saying that first vice president of the Panama FA, Fernando Arce, will take his position until returns, saying he will “do so at 100%”.
The comments Arias made shocked women’s football in the region for both their nature and personal attack on Cox.
Responding to a media question on what was wrong with Panama’s football after her team had been knocked out of the W Gold Cup following losses to Brazil, Colombia, and Puerto Rico, Cox said the biggest problem facing players in Panama is the lack of good quality facilities to develop players.
She pointed out that there was a lack of grass surfaces in the country, saying the Rommel Fernández stadium and the new Universitario field are not accessible to the majority of the country’s leading players who train on the synthetic pitch of ‘Cascarita’ Tapia, which doesn’t meet the standards of professional football.
Arias, angry that Cox expressed her opinion on the game in Panama (Cox plays for Xolos de Tijuana in Mexico), turned the debate personal, saying: “Marta Cox stopped to talk about our league. She’s out of shape, she’s fat, she couldn’t move on the pitch.”
“You have to do ‘mea culpa’ and the players were not physically well,” said Arias. “It’s very easy to talk, but she doesn’t know anything about the Panama league for years, she doesn’t know what’s going on here.”
It was an astonishing outburst from the Panama FA’s president who immediately was criticised by Fifpro in Panama for the personal attack, while his own federation issued a statement that said his choice of words was “unfortunate” but that they were aware of the challenges with facilities in the country and were working to improve them.
Following his ban, Arias’s statement on X is full of contrition and taken as it is written suggests he deeply regrets his comments.
“I used very unfortunate language that should not be used under any terms. And much less should it be used when one is an official with a high position in a sports institution that watches over, not only the evolution of national football, but also the evolution of human rights in our society,” said Arias in his statement.
“I want to express that, beyond the apologies that I made personally and publicly, both on March 2 on social networks, and on March 7 in a statement, it is not out of place to make it clear again that I am aware of the serious error committed, that one must accept the consequences of one’s actions and that I also accept the sanction received by the FIF ethics committee,” he continued.
“I accept the sanction as such, I will continue to reflect on what happened and, during these six months away from my duties as president of the FPF…
“May the ball roll in every corner of the country, from boys and girls, women and even the elderly, in a healthy environment and protection of their rights and freedoms.”
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