- Mapi Leon was accused of inappropriately touching another player
- Footage of Kerr exposes questions of race, power and privilege
- Racism sneaking into the game, misogyny and homophobia rampant
Is women’s football heading in the right direction? Player and fan behaviour questioned
Mapi Leon touching a player inappropriately, Sam Kerr’s messy court debacle, racism creeping into the women’s game and bad fan behaviour. What’s going wrong in women’s football?
Does the growth of women’s football in England (and Europe) automatically mean we should get used to this?
Mapi Leon can deny that she touched opponent Daniela Caracas in the crotch area all she likes but for anyone who’s seen the footage, it’s clear. Her creepy smirk after she does it only adds to the shitty situation.
Mapi Leon clip
Esta señora, Mapi Leon, que indignadísima renunció a jugar con la selección española por el inaceptable el pico de Rubiales, es la misma que ahora le toca los genitales a una compañera de profesión del Español, en público, durante un partido: "¿Tienes picha?".
— María Jamardo (@MariaJamardoC) February 10, 2025
Pues como ella… pic.twitter.com/NyGgB2gyax
Out of the handful of incidents I’m talking about this is the worst.
I’ve seen the comments online about how this is regular in men’s football … but it shouldn’t be. It’s gross and it needs to stop.
The club have said the decision to take legal action against Leon will be guided by the wishes of the player Daniela Caracas, who has faced racism and sexism online since the incident went viral.
I hope whatever decision she takes, football gets behind her.
Sam Kerr trial video – Why is women’s football getting so messy? Does it even matter?
Body-cam footage of Sam Kerr after taxi cab incident has been played in court. Language warning. She denies one charge of racially aggravated harassment of a police officer. pic.twitter.com/xBwTLaghzt
— Ben Lewis (@benlewismedia) February 3, 2025
Aussie player Sam Kerr has found herself in hot water after what appeared to have been a messy drunk night out with her partner last year, resulting in her being dragged in front of the courts.
Kerr has been cleared of racially aggravated harassment towards a white police officer but the footage reflects badly on her. Let’s pause here, don’t take anything away from the fact that both Kerr and her partner say they were frightened for their lives after the cabbie locked them in and sped away. But the story is murky, the cops were clearly biased and Kerr was clearly aggravated. The story is complex and reveals questions about race, power and who – that night – had the privilege.
We could dive deep into this but that’s for another blog post. What we can say for sure is it’s another messy situation that has caught the attention of football fans across the world – but also racists who can’t believe Kerr has “got away” with her comments to the cop.
From bad behaviour from players to growing racism in the women’s game, women’s football in England is beginning to reflect aspects of the men’s game.
Abuse online is not new for women in football. In fact, as attendance and viewership rapidly rise, there has also been a significant rise in misogynistic comments. Seriously men, if you don’t like women’s football just don’t watch it.
It’s not clear how the FA or leagues will curb this trend – if they can’t do it in the men’s game with the infinite amount of resources they have, I can’t see how they’ll do it for the women’s game.
Does it matter?
Yes. regardless if it’s men’s or women’s football it always matters. Football is for everyone and abusing players online or in person is a grim reality facing Premier League and Super League players (and just about every league in the world).
Football in England is an industry – and the women’s game in England will be there at some point too. The more welcoming it is, the bigger it’ll get.
Fans need to get a grip
On a slightly lighter note, although something that now needs bucking before it’s too late, is the expectations fans have from players. I think now is the perfect time for all WSL clubs to introduce a ban on signing shirts/ meeting fans after matches and taking pictures. They are athletes, not your friends. You’re supposed to be going to watch a football match, not get a selfie with your favourite.
Women’s football is growing and it’s becoming more and more difficult for players to meet the demands. The expectations are unfair on the players and not realistic going forward. As crowds get bigger, this behaviour will need cutting out completely – and as we’ve seen recently, fan behaviour at matches is getting increasingly worse.
Millie Bright recently released a statement after hearing abuse from someone in the Chelsea stand. She had to remind fans that players are human not robots. But they are also professional athletes. They shouldn’t be wasting their time hanging around after matches but instead going straight into recovery. Their bodies need to be maintained and looked after following play.
The recent bad behaviour from the stands has only sped up the process of putting a clearer barrier between fans and players and to be honest I think that’s the way it should be.