Can you imagine, even for a second, Mexican World Cup hero Guillermo Ochoa being threatened with his national team status for filing a law suit? Do you think it’s reasonable to think legal action from Yohan Cabaye or Paul Pogba could end up costing France a chance to host the World Cup?
That’s what a law suit from a group of international female players alleges, only with the genders flipped. One month after a group spearheaded by Abby Wambach and Nadine Angerer filed a law suit to get next summer’s World Cup on turf, the Canadian Soccer Association is being forced to answer allegations that threats have been made against several top women’s players in regards to their association with the legal action.
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Canada Soccer says the allegations are “completely baseless.” Here’s what the players are saying.
From the Associated Press:The players allege that Mexican international Teresa Noyola and French internationals Camille Abily and Elise Bussaglia had been threatened with reprisals.
Noyola, according to the filing, was told she would not be invited to play for the Mexican national team unless she withdrew her name from the legal challenge. Abily and Bussaglia “were led to believe that their continued participation in this action would lead to retaliation by FIFA in the awarding of the 2019 women’s World Cup.”
France is seeking to host the 2019 World Cup.
All three have since pulled out of the complaint, although lawyers for the group said 20 players have stepped forward to replace them.
The players also allege that Costa Rican internationals Diana Saenz and Katherine Alvarado, along with a third unidentified player, were told by Costa Rican Federation officials “that their participation put their positions on the team in jeopardy as a result of pressure from CSA and FIFA.”
If true in any way, it’s truly aggravating. I’m not in the crowd that says it’s crazy and hurtful that FIFA isn’t overhauling the turf. But this is terribly uncool just to read, let alone have it be fact.