Panama Football Boss Suspended For Calling Player ‘Fat’

The Panamanian Football Federation said Thursday FIFA had banned its boss Manuel Arias from performing his functions for six months for calling a player “fat.” Federation president Arias was sanctioned for using “inappropriate language” about Marta Cox who plays for the Panama national team and for Turkey’s Fenerbahce club. Arias had called the 27-year-old “fat” to reporters in March 2023 after the player criticized women’s football in Panama, which has an amateur league where most players do not receive a salary or have access to proper stadiums or training facilities.

“She is out of shape, she’s fat, she couldn’t move on the field,” Arias said at the time.

Cox threatened to leave the national team, prompting Arias to apologize.

He has described his choice of words as “very unfortunate” and said Thursday he accepted the sanction for a “serious error committed.”