Rayo Vallecano coach Andoni Iraola has said he cannot defend the leaked comments made by the coach of the club's women's team, Carlos Santiso, in which Santiso encouraged staff to gang-rape a 15-year-old girl.
ADVERTISEMENT
Rayo boss Iraola refuses to defend gang-rape comments made by coach of women's team
Rayo Vallecano coach Andoni Iraola has said he cannot defend the comments made by Carlos Santiso in 2018.
Rayo Vallecano coach Andoni Iraola has said he cannot defend the comments made by Carlos Santiso in 2018. Creator: OSCAR DEL POZO
Recommended articles
Santiso was hired by Rayo last month, despite them being aware of the recording, which was sent in 2018 via Whatsapp when Santiso was in charge of Rayo's youth teams.
In the recording, Santiso said: "The staff here are incredible but there are things we still lack, that we still need. We still need to do something like what those from Arandina did."
Santiso was referring to three footballers from the Spanish third division team Arandina CF, who were accused of gang-raping a 15-year-old girl in 2017. Two of them were sentenced to three and four years in prison, while the third was acquitted.
ADVERTISEMENT
Santiso, who continues in charge of the Rayo women's team, has since apologised for what he described as "an unfortunate, unforgivable joke that was in very bad taste."
According to Spanish radio station Cadena SER, Rayo president Raul Martin Presa defended the club appointing Santiso by saying: "We sign professionals, not people."
But Iraola, who is the coach of the men's team in La Liga, told Cadena Ser late on Monday: "The statements are not very defendable. It's clear what they are and they don't seem very defendable to me."
Iraola's men's team play at home to Real Betis in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final on Wednesday, as they attempt to reach the final of the competition for the first time in the their history. The second leg is scheduled for March 3.
Valencia and Athletic Bilbao will contest the first leg of the other semi-final on Thursday.
ADVERTISEMENT
JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!
ADVERTISEMENT
Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:
Email: eyewitness@pulse.com.gh
Recommended articles
The Intersection of Enthusiasm: United Kingdom's local motorsports and Ghana's rising stars
Video: Watch Fatawu Issahaku’s hat trick in Leicester City’s win against Southampton
RTU suspends coach Abdulai Mumin over match-fixing allegations
Hearts of Oak are better off playing with an empty post than using Richard Attah – Taylor
Sorry for causing you a lot of pain – Dr. Prosper Ogum apologizes to Kotoko fans
Govt hasn't paid us – African Games gold medalist Winnifred Ntumi 'cries' out
Dumsor is part of the reasons why we lost against Legon Cities – Hearts of Oak coach
Black Stars midfielder Daniel Kofi Kyereh to miss rest of season due to injury
