The Iraqi national football team participating in the Under-20 World Cup in Argentina is under investigation for “subversion” and alleged sexual abuse of members in a hotel, according to a police report.
A police officer in charge of the Iraqi group’s security obtained the testimony of a young employee at a hotel restaurant who confirmed that members of the Iraqi group “touched her private parts” on Thursday night, according to De La. Plata Police (60 km from the capital of Buenos Aires), about which newspapers were printed A few Argentines.
According to the report, the girl did not want to file a complaint or reveal her identity.
The director of the hotel’s front desk, heard by an Argentine police officer, testified that members of the Iraqi group “walked in their underwear down the corridors of the hotel and deliberately activated the fire alarm system”, and added that such behavior “we have not seen before in the hotel.”
A police report quoted a security official as saying that members of the mission “misbehaved with the local interpreter” and “disabled the hotel’s elevator due to excessive weight”.
According to the police report, Muhammad Nasser Shukroun, the head of the mission of the Iraqi national team in Argentina, was officially informed of the facts through an interpreter, and the head of the local organizing committee in the Argentine Federation demanded a full investigation. .
And through the Iraqi Federation’s social media channel, the president of the mission denied “inaccurate anecdotal news and rumors that were spread by some Argentine websites this Friday morning regarding problems at our youth team’s residence in Argentina.” the capital of Buenos Aires,” without giving direct details. About the problems faced by his youth team.
And he continued: “The leadership of the Iraqi delegation confirms that things are going well, and there is nothing that could disturb the peace of the delegation, and everyone should be responsible and be careful in handling information, especially since the national team is waiting for an important match in the opening of its World Cup matches against Uruguay…
The Iraqi Federation added in a later statement that “in a rainy atmosphere and with high morale, our youth team spent their training session at the Jimenezza training club stadium, which is 10 km from our team’s delegation residence in the city of La Plata, in preparation to the meeting with the national team of Uruguay”, in the presence of the President of the Football Association of Iraq. national team, Jesús Casas.”
The U-20 World Championship starts tomorrow, Sunday, and the tournament will last until June 11, and 24 teams will take part in it.
Asian runners-up Iraq were in Group E along with Uruguay, England and Tunisia and will play their first match on Monday against Uruguay.
Source: AFP.
