Barcelona women’s star who touched an opponent’s genitals and asked ‘do you have a d***’ during a match is BANNED for ‘unsporting conduct and ‘inappropriate touching’

Barcelona Women’s star Mapi Leon has been slapped with a two-game suspension for allegedly prodding an opponent’s private parts during a match in February. 

The 29-year-old, who denies the charges, is accused of touching Espanyol’s Daniela Caracas in a sensitive area while waiting for a corner to come in during a Liga F game.

Spanish outlet ES Diario reported that the Barcelona player also asked Caracas ‘do you have a d***?’, an accusation again denied by Leon. There has never been any suggestion of Caracas being transgender. 

After the incident, Espanyol released a furious statement condemning the ‘unacceptable’ action and urging the authorities to punish Leon. 

Leon issued her own statement, published by Barcelona, in which she claims that she merely touched Caracas’ leg, and that ‘the images are clear’. 

‘At no time did I, nor was it my intention, infringe upon the intimacy of my fellow professional Daniela Caracas,” she said in the statement. 

The 54-time Spain international has been suspended for two matches for the February incident

Leon was a model for the Gucci-Adidas collection in 2023 alongside the likes of Mo Salah

‘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.’

Now, Leon is set to miss matches against Atletico Madrid and Sevilla after a disciplinary committee charged her for ‘unsportsmanlike conduct’ and her appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport was rejected.

The Barcelona defender remained on the field for all 90 minutes of February’s 2-0 win at Espanyol while Caracas was taken off after 82 minutes on a yellow card.

Leon is a 54-time Spain international and has won the Spanish top division six times. 

Espanyol revealed in their statement that, as a result of the incident, Caracas had received abuse on social media from ‘hundreds of profiles’. 

It marks another high-profile episode involving the Colombia star. In 2023, she copped flak for claiming Ireland’s players could ‘eat s***’ after their World Cup warm-up friendly was abandoned after 20 minutes due to rough play.

‘They are just girls, one little foul and they started complaining. They were having a chat among themselves to continue or not so we weren’t going to hang around waiting for them. Honestly, let them eat s***,’ said Caracas.

Midfielder Denise O’Sullivan ended up in hospital with a shin injury while Ireland boss Vera Pauw said Colombia’s behaviour was ‘outside the rules of the game’.

In her February statement, Leon condemned ‘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’. 

Barcelona top the Liga F table, holding a four-point advantage over Real Madrid while Espanyol lie in 12th place.