Wives Of Mallorca Players Allegedly "Harassed" And "Touched" At Super Cup Match vs Real Madrid In Saudi Arabia
The partners of Mallorca players have alleged harassment by Saudi Arabian men following the Spanish Super Cup semifinal.
Mallorca played Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup semifinal on Thursday at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah. Los Blancos won the game 3-0 and will play Barcelona in the final on January 12.
Cristina Palavra, the wife of Mallorca midfielder Dani Rodriguez, spoke with Spanish media after the game about the incidents. Here's what she said, translated by the Daily Mail.
"The departure was a bit complicated. We went with the children and there was no security. The truth is that the boys from this country started taking photos of us up close and harassed us. Natalia [Kaluzova], Dominik Greif's wife, too. We went as a group, all together with the organization and everything, but we couldn't do anything else. We got to the bus as best we could, that's how it is."
- Cristina Palavra
🤬"Ens han assetjat"
— Esports IB3 (@EsportsIB3) January 9, 2025
🗣️Cristina Palavra, dona de Dani Rodríguez, parla de la desagradable situació que han viscut els familiars dels jugadors del Mallorca durant el partit. pic.twitter.com/Ecgll6NoF6
Meanwhile, one Mallorca fan told Spanish radio station COPE that women were hit, touched, and had their photos taken without consent by local men after the game.
"They took photos of us without consent, hitting us on the back of the head... It was very unpleasant, but the worst thing was what the women suffered. They were touched. They were taken photos without consent... Yes... touched."
- Mallorca fan
The Spanish Super Cup was first held in Saudi Arabia in 2020, and it has been hosted annually in the country since 2022. Notably, this is the fifth time Los Blancos have traveled to the Kingdom to play in the tournament, while it was Mallorca's first.
Saudi Arabia has built a reputation for hosting large sporting events over the years. The country is set to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup. However, critics argue that it is all part of a sports-washing strategy to improve the nation's global image.
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Danny has been covering soccer and the world of professional wrestling since 2021. He has previously worked for outlets such as Wrestling Inc., Sportskeeda, and Flashscore. You can follow him on X at @DannyWol11.