Barcelona respond to the controversy over women's team flying economy
The director of female football, Maria Teixidor, wrote an open letter
Barcelona were not happy about the controversy caused by their women’s team travelling in economy while the men’s team was in first class on their way to Portland, Oregon for the US Tour.
However it was explained by the club that the women’s team only was added to the tour late on and there were no more seats left in first.
"We regret that there has been a controversy because of a simple issue: When the club hired the charter flight, it was not expected that the women's team would travel," spokesman Josep Vives explained.
"There were no more seats available. [The women's players] travelled in comfortable places, as they said themselves. Now in the internal flights, everyone will travel in first class.
"I think we must value the club's commitment to women's sports. We have professionalised the women's team. We want to make them a top-level team around Europe. We have varying women's teams [and] we are working for the equality in many areas. We believe that generating a controversy for an issue like this is trying to attack us."
Meanwhile the director of female football at the club, Maria Teixidor, wrote an open letter after the controversy.
"To all those who these days are dedicating themselves to criticising the conditions for the women’s team on the trip, I want to tell you that you don’t realise that Barça are travelling their women players with their male players so that, in the near future, they can travel in business on their own flight.
“It will be the day when we can talk about equality, because women's sport will occupy in the media the space equivalent to what they dedicate to men. It will fill front covers; covers that will summon masses to stadiums, masses that will bring sponsors to women's teams, sponsors that will generate income so that they earn the same salaries as their peers, and that will oblige brands to sponsor them with the same amounts as the men; the day, also, in which various organisers will allocate the same resources to women's competitions as to men's, in which the federations will equal the bonuses and prizes of men and women.
“Until that day arrives, it is enough to recognise the effort that this club, a pioneer in so many things, is doing now for women's sport.
“A new world is built by adding up and paddling all in the same direction, each with their own scope and its responsibility. In the meanwhile, less cynicism.”
