Paula Dapena, 24, a player from the Viajes Interrías club, refused to join the tribute to Maradona, as a feminist gesture "I am not going to keep a minute of silence for an abuser"
The death of Argentine soccer star Diego Armando Maradona filled millions of fans with sadness who have considered him the best player of all time and as expected, the tributes were immediate.
While millions of people mourn "Ten", there are also those who, although they do not underestimate his great achievements on the court, have not overlooked the player’s personal life, including a player who refused to pay tribute to Diego Maradona, "I am not going to keep a minute of silence for an abuser" , was his justification.
Paula Dapena, 24, a player for the Viajes Interrías FF club (3rd Spanish women’s division), refused to honor Diego Maradona as a feminist gesture in a friendly against Deportivo La Coruña (1st) in Abegondo (northwestern Spain), with victory for the second 10-0 in a friendly match.
While her teammates and their opponents stood in line to observe a minute of silence in tribute to the soccer legend who died on Wednesday at age 60, Paula Dapena sat with her back to the stands, in the sense contrary to her companions, as a visible gesture of disagreement.
"For the victims, a minute of silence was not kept, so obviously I am not willing to keep a minute of silence for an abuser and that it should not be done for the victims," explained the soccer player to the Galician web newspaper Pontevedra Viva, alluding to the recent Day International for the Eradication of Violence against Women (November 25), which did not motivate any similar gesture.
Paula Dapena reproaches Maradona for his treatment of women and had announced that he was going to make a gesture to express his disagreement, after learning that that minute of silence was going to take place.
He recognized the "spectacular soccer qualities and abilities" of the Argentine star, but says that "you cannot forgive him for all the atrocities he committed" off the pitch.
"To be a player, you have to be first person and have values beyond skills," he said in his statements to Pontevedra Viva.