Red Bull Bragantino announced this Monday (23) that defender Gustavo Marques will receive a fine of 50% of his total salary as punishment for misogynistic statements made against referee Daiane Muniz, last Saturday (21), after the defeat to São Paulo, in a match valid for the quarter-finals of the Campeonato Paulista.
The player will also not be included in the clash against Athletico Paranaense, on Wednesday (25), for the Brazilian Championship.
In a statement, the São Paulo club also stated that the athlete’s discounted value will be donated to the NGO Rendar, which takes care of women in vulnerable situations in Bragança Paulista.
Scorer of the goal for the team from the interior of São Paulo in his team’s 2-1 defeat, Marques criticized the referee’s work, attributing supposed flaws during the match to the fact that she was a woman. After the negative repercussion of his statements, the athlete apologized.
“Firstly, I want to talk about the refereeing. Because there’s no point in us playing against São Paulo, Palmeiras, Corinthians, and them putting a woman to referee a game of this size. I think she wasn’t honest”, said Marques, in an interview with TNT Sports after the match, still on the pitch.
“We work every day, leave our family at home, so they can come and end our dream. It was our dream to reach the semi-finals”, added the defender.
Having spent time at América-MG and Benfica, the 24-year-old player also said that the FPF (São Paulo Football Federation) should not “put a woman” to referee important state games.
The FPF published a note in which it harshly condemned Gustavo Marques’ statements: “It is with deep indignation and revolt that the São Paulo Football Federation received the athlete’s interview.”
The federation added that Daiane Muniz “is an FPF/CBF/Fifa referee of the highest technical, correct and character quality” and that she will forward the statements to the Sports Court, “so that it can take all appropriate measures”.
Upon leaving the changing rooms, already repentant, Marques stated in an interview with journalists that he had sought out Daiane to apologize for the statements.
“I’m here to ask for forgiveness from all the women in the world, in Brazil. I said things I shouldn’t have said at that moment,” said the defender. “I feel bad, I’m sad. My wife has already cursed me, my mother has already cursed me. Every human being makes mistakes. I’m here to ask forgiveness for all women.”
