Spanish super cup overshadowed by harassment claims in Jeddah
The WAGs accompanied the RCD Mallorca players to the semi-finals of the Spanish Super Cup in Jeddah. They will not have fond memories of their visit to Saudi Arabia. Cristina Palavra accused the local Real Madrid fans of harassment.
RCD Mallorca was one of the four participants in the mini-tournament for the Spanish Super Cup. On Thursday, they suffered a 0-3 defeat against Real Madrid and were eliminated from the competition for the trophy. In Sunday's final, fans will see Real Madrid face off against FC Barcelona.
The Spanish organise short tournaments for the Super Cup in Saudi Arabia. This is financially beneficial for the organiser and the participants, as the hosts generously compensate for the opportunity to see the strongest La Liga clubs in action.
Not only the RCD Mallorca players but also their partners flew to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. They will not have pleasant memories of the visit to the country, which will host the World Cup in 2034. Cristina Palavra, who is the wife of Dani Rodriguez, spoke about the unpleasant experiences.
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, - quotes Cristina Palavra from the "Daily Mail." Other partners of RCD Mallorca players also reported the difficult journey from the stadium to the bus.
One of the fans of the Balearic team went even further in his account from Saudi Arabia. According to him, there was harassment, which he spoke about in an interview with COPE radio.
It was very unpleasant, but the worst of all was that at the end of the match, on the way from the stands to the bus, hundreds of people heckled us and lined us up. 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 - recounted the fan.
Saudi Arabia spends a lot of money promoting the country through sports. Such media reports will not facilitate preparations for the World Cup in 2034.