Banana thrown at Brazilian players in soccer friendly in Paris
PARIS — Three Brazilian teenagers threw bananas at the Brazilian World Cup team as they took part in a soccer match in France that was also attended by a handful of French police.
The Brazilian team in the match, called the 2015 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup France Group 3, faced Uruguay. The team was trying to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games.
Brazilian World Cup team members were attacked by three Brazilian teenagers in a soccer friendly against Uruguay in Paris on Saturday. The team was taking part in the 2015 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
There was some confusion in the Brazilian media as to whether an incident occurred. It has since been clarified that the group of girls threw bananas and that the Brazilian team members were attacked by the girls who then threw the bananas. The team was on the field for the full 90 minutes of the match.
There were reports on Brazilian news website Esportes from Saturday night claiming that the girls threw bananas. A photo has since been circulated. Brazil’s Ministry of Sports, however, clarified that no banana was thrown and said the girls had not assaulted the Brazilian players.
“No banana was thrown by kids. They are kids; it’s normal for them to throw things like that,” said the head of Brazil’s soccer federation, Carlos Arthur Nuzman.
Brazil’s Ministry of Sports and the soccer federation’s head issued a joint statement on Monday saying that there is no reason to believe that the girls threw the bananas. It also said that the girls did not assault Brazilian players. Brazilian players were injured in the incident.
There were also reports in Brazilian media that some of the players had been assaulted.
“We don’t know what happened. The girl who throws the bananas was not one of the girls who assaulted the team,” Nuzman said.
The Ministry of Sport has taken over the investigation into the incident.
In Brazil, soccer is played by men only. This has led to various problems and in recent years a number of high profile cases have been recorded. Brazil has been on the world’s soccer radar since the late 1970s.
In 2008, a group of 10 boys were arrested for throwing bananas at Argentinian soccer players. The boys had thrown eggs, coconuts and bananas at the Argentine team.
