The Ethics Committee of FIFA suspended the president of the Panamanian Football Federation (FPF) for six months, Manuel Ariasfor using inappropriate language toward a player from the Panama women’s team, the Central American country’s soccer governing body reported Thursday. The sanction will not affect the activities of the Panamanian Federation, as the decision is binding only on the executive.
“President Arias has been sanctioned for a period of six months until July 14, 2025, a period during which he will not be able to participate in activities related to federated football. In the absence of President Arias, First Vice President Fernando Arce will remain in the leading role,” FPF reported. “This punishment imposed on the president does not and will not affect the normal functioning of the institution. We will continue to work for women’s football as we have done in recent years, recognizing that we still have work to do, ” organizational clarification.
In March 2024, after Panama’s women’s team was eliminated from the Gold Cup, Arias criticized the physical condition of the players, especially Marta Cox, saying she was “fat and out of shape.” “I know the serious mistake that was made, that a person must accept the consequences of his actions and that I also accept the punishment received. I will continue to reflect on what happened and, during these six months from my duties as president of the FPF, I will be the number one fan of our Panamanian soccer,” Arias published in a statement.
“It is time, for me, to step aside for these six months where I will take advantage, when I return to my duties as president, I do it 100%,” he added.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
