{"id":23404,"date":"2024-03-08T13:08:18","date_gmt":"2024-03-08T18:08:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/sport\/marta-cox-panama-midfielder-threatens-not-to-play-again-after-federation-president-calls-her-fat\/08\/03\/2024\/"},"modified":"2024-03-08T13:08:18","modified_gmt":"2024-03-08T18:08:18","slug":"marta-cox-panama-midfielder-threatens-not-to-play-again-after-federation-president-calls-her-fat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/sport\/marta-cox-panama-midfielder-threatens-not-to-play-again-after-federation-president-calls-her-fat\/08\/03\/2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Marta Cox: Panama midfielder threatens not to play again after federation president calls her ‘fat’"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Marta Cox has played professionally in Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Marta Cox has threatened not to play for Panama again after the president of Panama’s football federation (FEPAFUT) called her “fat” and “out of shape”.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Manuel Arias made the comments after Cox complained about the facilities in Panama following the team’s group exit at the Concacaf W Gold Cup last month.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Players union Fifpro called the president’s comments “unacceptable”.<\/span><\/p>\n

“If this type of situation becomes a constant, I will not return for the national team,” said midfielder Cox.<\/span><\/p>\n

“There were words used to describe me that certainly hurt me and were unexpected.”<\/span><\/p>\n

The 26-year-old, who plays for Tijuana in Mexico’s Liga MX Femenil, scored Panama’s first Women’s World Cup goal last summer – a 35-yard free-kick during their <\/span>6-3 defeat by France.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Panama were still eliminated after failing to earn a point during their three group games, just as they were in the inaugural Concacaf W Gold Cup, which concludes on Sunday with hosts the USA facing Brazil in the final.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cox’s comments angered FEPAFUT president Arias, who said: “Marta Cox stopped to talk about our league. She’s out of shape, she’s fat, she couldn’t move on the pitch.<\/span><\/p>\n

“It’s very easy to talk, but she doesn’t know anything about the Panama league for years. She doesn’t know what’s going on here.”<\/span><\/p>\n

‘There is still a lot more work to do’<\/h3>\n

Panama made their first Women’s World Cup appearance last year, conceding 11 goals and scoring three, and in the Gold Cup they conceded 13 while scoring just one.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a statement through Panama’s Association of Professional Footballers, Cox said: “After the World Cup, I expected so much more. That desire to see steady progress led me to speak out after an unfortunate performance in the Gold Cup.<\/span><\/p>\n

“We are the first to recognise that we were not up to the standard of the tournament, but that same introspection must go beyond just the players.”<\/span><\/p>\n

FEPAFUT has posted an apology for Arias’ comments, saying that “he himself has pledged that it will not be repeated”.<\/span><\/p>\n

The federation added: “On International Women’s Day… we regret the unfortunate term used by our president.<\/span><\/p>\n

“In the federation we are committed to continue working for women’s football, as we have been doing for the last five years through sports and training programmes focused on women.<\/span><\/p>\n

“That said, we know that there is still a lot more work to do.”<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Marta Cox has played professionally in Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico Marta Cox has threatened not to play for Panama again after