Abuse and Sexual Harassment Scandal in Argentina: Eight Accusations Emerge

Three new public accusations have emerged, adding to the five already filed with FIFA against Argentine coach Diego Guacci. The players describe a climate of intimidation from Guacci and his wife, who have pursued legal action against them.

The number of players accusing Argentine coach Diego Guacci of harassment and sexual abuse has risen to eight. Three additional public testimonies were presented during the event "The Voice in the First Person: Players Speak," held at the National Senate in Argentina, joining the five cases already reported to FIFA in 2021.

During the two-hour meeting, footballers and sports journalists recounted instances of sexual and psychological abuse, as well as harassment, by Guacci, as reported by Clarín. It's worth noting that four years ago, FIFA chose not to sanction the coach, who at the time was managing Argentina's U-15 and U-17 women's national teams.

Aldana Videla Quintana, a Platense player, was one of those who broke her silence. "He harassed me because of my sexuality; in every training session, he'd repeat that my performance depended on whether or not I was with my partner. He made me understand that to be on the national team, I had to have the same 'ovaries' I had to publicly display my sexuality, as if being a lesbian was a bad thing. He'd tell me to shower alone, away from the team, in a giant locker room where I was afraid something might happen to me," she recounted.

Florencia Mercau, a player for Morón, provided another powerful testimony, read by attorney Andrea Lucangioli. "I was 20 when I arrived at River. Diego Guacci harassed me, asking for nude photos, and if I didn't send them, I wouldn't play. He told me that if I ever spoke out, he would hunt me down to kill me. I had to leave the club I loved so much out of fear." The attorney explained that Mercau was not present "due to the fear he instills in her" and revealed that Mercau "attempted suicide and has not yet recovered from what he did to her."

Mabel Velarde, an Ecuadorian international, also spoke out: "I decided to speak after eleven years; I do it for the girls, for the new generations, for women. It's crucial that there are restorative processes and that those who cross boundaries take responsibility for their actions."

The original complaints, filed in May 2021 through the global footballers' union (FIFPRO), included quotes attributed to Guacci such as "You're capable of letting yourself be raped to make the National Team," "You're a failure. You're horrible, fat," and "If you play like that again, I'll put you in the showers and f*** you up the a***."

According to attorney Lucangioli, despite the complainants' names not being in the official record, Guacci discovered their identities and made them public. "He and his wife sued four of them for damages, demanding 25 million pesos from each. They didn't sue the fifth player because she has a lot of compromising documentation on her phone, like photos and messages he sent her," she explained, adding that four sports journalists were also sued for the same amount for reporting on the case.

Luana Muñoz, a player for Club Belgrano de Córdoba and one of the initial complainants, stated in the Senate that Guacci "represented a very significant danger" to young women in the national team and "to all women and dissidents who wish to participate in professional football."

Gabriela Garton, former goalkeeper for the Argentine national team, lamented the re-victimization. "Instead of seeking ways to punish victims, we need to find ways to facilitate complaints, streamline the process, and believe victims," she argued.

Camila Gómez Ares, a Boca Juniors player, concluded with an appeal: "The message being sent is sad and dangerous: if you speak out, you'll end up worse than you were. We cannot allow the future of women's football to be silence born of fear."

A group of players has initiated defamation lawsuits against coach Guacci, accusing him of orchestrating an intimidation campaign after a harassment complaint was dismissed by FIFA due to insufficient evidence. The athletes allege that the coach and his wife are using the case to promote a bill against "false accusations," aiming to silence future victims.

The conflict dates back to 2018 when several players, upon learning that Guacci would take charge of the women's youth national teams (U-15 and U-17), decided to formally report his previous behaviors, which they considered dangerous. After the 2019 World Cup, with FIFPRO's support, testimonies were collected from around 20 women detailing harassment and abuse. However, due to fear of professional repercussions and psychological harm, only five chose to proceed.

The case was initially reviewed by FIFA's Ethics Committee, which recommended a sanction for the coach. However, the final decision, made by the Adjudicatory Chamber, deemed the evidence "insufficient." It's important to note that the players could not appeal this decision, as in FIFA's internal administrative processes, they are not considered a "party" to the proceedings, being represented by the union.

FIFA's 40-page final report explicitly states that the conclusion should not be interpreted as an acknowledgment of the coach's innocence or a declaration that he acted in accordance with the organization's Code of Ethics. The players and their attorney emphasize that, as this was an administrative and not a judicial process, terms like "acquittal" do not apply.

Coach Guacci, for his part, defends himself by claiming the accusations are part of a "network of falsehoods" created to ruin his career and that both he and his wife are "victims of false accusations." His wife is, in fact, the main proponent of a bill against "false accusations," presented by Senator Carolina Losada, which the players view as a maneuver to discredit their complaints.

Since the complaint was formalized, the athletes claim to have been subjected to "harassment, threats, and defamation campaigns" on social media by the coach's inner circle. In response, players Luana Muñoz, Aldana Cometti, and Camila Gómez Ares sued Guacci for defamation, citing his use of them as examples in the aforementioned Senate bill and an online campaign led by his wife.

Journalist Agustina Vidal also filed a lawsuit for the same offenses, having been accused of belonging to a "criminal network" against the couple. According to her lawyer, the journalists' work was limited to "reporting what FIFA had done and expressing their disagreement."

The attorney further added that Florencia Mercau will criminally prosecute Guacci for harassment, alleging that after her story was read in the Senate, the coach accessed her Instagram profile "clearly as a form of threat," which left her "in shock" and caused panic attacks.

"They are clearly using power to achieve another objective, so that victims who gather courage think ten times before reporting, so that the price to pay is extremely high," stated Agustina Vidal, one of the journalists sued by Guacci and his wife.