A Spanish soccer referee is in big trouble after deciding it would be a good idea to ask a female player on a date during a match.
Elena Pavel, who plays for Sporting Huelva in the Primera Division, complained about the sexist treatment from official Santiago Quijada Alcon, saying he allegedly told her “Hey brown-hair – let’s get coffee this afternoon” during a match against Santa Teresa.
Pavel replied in appropriate fashion, telling Alcon “better stick to blowing your whistle.” Following the exchange, Alcon ejected two Huelva players and denied the team a penalty in an eventual 3-2 loss.
Now that may sound funny, but the incident is very serious. Pavel told Spanish news agency Efe that she thought Alcon was “provoking” her during the match, and said she “stopped believing in football, in fair play.”
“I feel helpless, humiliated. In the many years I’ve been playing football I’ve never felt so ashamed.”
It’s gross and a damn shame that a referee would use a position of power and try to spin it into getting a date. Nobody should be harassed, especially by somebody who’s supposed to enforce rules. Alcon should face serious discipline for his actions.
[Mirror]