The Panamanian Football Federation (FPF) reported this Thursday that its president, Manuel Arias He was handed a six-month ban from federated football by FIFA “for inappropriate language” when he called a player from the women’s team “fat.”
The Panamanian federation reported in a statement that the FIFA Ethics Committee notified Arias of the sanction “for a period of 6 months until July 14, 2025, a period during which he will not be able to participate in activities related to federated football.”
After that, and based on its laws, during the absence of the president of the LPF “the first vice president Fernando Arce will remain in the leading role until the end of the sentence.”
Arias said midfielder Marta Cox, one of Panama’s standout players, was “out of shape” and “fat” after the national team player complained about the lack of support for women’s soccer in the country, according to They collect local media.
Some words caused an uproar and forced Arias to apologize to the player, according to journalistic sources.
Marta Cox is one of the most popular players in the Panamanian national team. He participated in the 2023 Australia-New Zealand World Cup and was among those called up by Spanish coach Toña Is for the 2027 Brazil World Cup tournament.
Cox, who played for the Mexican Xolos, announced this Thursday on his social networks his signing for Fenerbahçe in Türkiye.
The Panamanian federation stressed on Thursday that it is not “part of any past or current process before any jurisdictional body of FIFA and that this punishment imposed on the president does not affect, and will not affect, the normal functioning of the institution .”
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
