FC Barcelona accused of gender discrimination at La Masia: report

Barcelona faced accusations of unequal treatment between girls and boys in their La Masia academy concerning support for advancing their football careers, reported Radio Catalunya on Wednesday.

While discussions about budgets and wages are commonplace in professional football, the club appeared to contradict the requests made by star midfielders Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati regarding women's football.

As per the report, Barcelona scaled back the assistance provided to children training at La Masia. Previously, the club covered the cost of a taxi service for children residing outside the La Masia residence in the nearby areas of Barcelona to transport them to training. 

However, the current situation sees the provision of a bus service that collects some academy talents from specific points, easing their journey to training and games. 

Unfortunately, the girls' teams do not receive any financial or transport support to reach the Ciutat Esportiva. Given the frequency of training sessions (three to four times a week) and at least one match weekly, this places a significant burden on families.

Putellas and Bonmati consistently advocated not for exorbitant wages but for enhanced professionalism and an accessible pathway for young girls to pursue a career in the sport. 

Bonmati, in particular, discussed the additional sacrifices she made as a child, often training at 10 p.m. when the pitches were available – a schedule that undoubtedly took a toll on the teenage athlete's life.

Earlier, the former financial advisor to Barca's president Joan Laporta and investment banker, Marc Ciria I Roig, asserted that Barcelona's financial situation worsened during his tenure.

Ciria, who was poised to become Laporta's economic president if he had won the 2015 elections, accused Laporta of jeopardizing Barcelona's future to sign players.

Comments

Submit