Fifa has suspended the president of the Panamanian Football Federation Manuel Arias for six months for addressing « grosse » the player of the Turkish club Fenerbahçe and the Panama national team, Marta Cox.
The Panamanian Federation indicated in a press release on Thursday that it had “been informed of a sanction imposed on Mr. Manuel Arias” by the ethics committee of the International Football Federation (Fifa) for “inappropriate language towards a player of the Panama women’s team”.
Marta Cox (left) plays for Panama and Turkish club Fenerbahçe / Sean M. Haffey / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/Archives
In March 2023, Mr. Arias called Marta Cox a « grosse » after the footballer criticized the Panamanian women’s league following the team’s elimination in the Gold Cup, a tournament which brings together the best Concacaf selections (North, Central America and the Caribbean.
“Marta Cox (…) is fat, she couldn’t move on the pitch”Manuel Arias declared to local media.
Ms. Cox, one of the main players of the Panama national team, then threatened to leave the team, leading the leader to issue a public apology.
After the announcement of the sanction, Manuel Arias admitted to having committed “serious error” and qualified as “very regrettable” the language used towards the 27-year-old footballer.
