Espanyol Condemns Alleged Inappropriate Conduct by Barcelona's Mapi León in Catalan Derby

Spanish club Espanyol has strongly condemned an incident involving Barcelona defender Mapi León and their player Daniela Caracas during Sunday's Liga F Catalan derby. The club described the act as "unacceptable" and called for it not to be overlooked.

The controversy arose in the 15th minute of the match when León and Caracas clashed during a set-piece. Video footage appears to show León making contact with Caracas in an intimate area while speaking to her. Although Caracas did not immediately react, Espanyol later released a statement asserting that the player was initially too shocked to respond but recognized the seriousness of the incident upon reflection.

Espanyol expressed concern over the attention shifting away from the act itself and toward unrelated matters, adding that Caracas had faced online abuse in the aftermath. The club assured that they would support their player legally should she decide to take action.

León, on the other hand, has firmly denied any wrongdoing. In a statement released via Barcelona, she described the incident as "a simple row" and insisted she only touched Caracas' leg in reaction to a collision between them. "At no point did I violate or intend to violate the privacy of my colleague," León stated, adding that the situation had been exaggerated and taken out of context. She also condemned the harassment Caracas had received online and reserved the right to take legal action against those who she claimed were "defaming" her.

As of now, the Spanish Football Federation has not commented on the matter. Liga F confirmed that any potential disciplinary measures would fall under the federation's jurisdiction.

Despite the controversy, Barcelona went on to win the match 2-0 with late goals from Caroline Graham Hansen and Salma Paralluelo. The fallout from the incident, however, continues to spark debate within Spanish football.

Featured Image Credit: Pixabay / jorono, Instagram / @marialeonn16