Is Sepp Blatter even dirtier than many suspect him to be?
USA women’s soccer legend Hope Solo accused the former FIFA president of sexually assaulting her in 2013 at the FIFA Ballon d’Or Awards ceremony. Solo made the stunning claim Friday in an interview with Portuguese newspaper Tribuna Expresso about sexual harassment in sports.
“… I had Sepp Blatter grab my a–,” Solo said. “… It was at the Ballon d’Or one year (Solo presented FIFA’s women’s player of the year award in 2013 and shared the stage with Blatter), right before I went on stage… It’s been normalized.”
Solo said she often confronts anyone who touches her inappropriately but didn’t do so with Blatter.
“In the case of Sepp Blatter, I went on the stage, I was nervous for the presentation …,” Solo said. “It was the Ballon d’Or I was presenting. After that, I didn’t see him and that was kind of bad. I didn’t get to tell him directly ‘Don’t ever touch me!’ That’s the way I’ve always handled things. Directly.”
Blatter denies Solo’s sexual assault claim.
“This allegation is ridiculous,” Blatter’s spokesman told Tribuna Expresso and The Guardian.
