A children’s soccer team from Cañuelas scored points for having a girl on campus

Being 10 and being a girl seems to be wrong in Argentine football. Cases of girls banned from playing football at that age have piled up in recent years because an (archaic) regulation of the AFA states that mixed football is only allowed up to that age.

This time it’s up to Paula, even if not just her; also sanctioned his team in the 2012 category by removing all the points he had added in the 13 dates played in the Buenos Aires League.

As reported by the site Cañuelas per day, the request came from the German Club of General Rodríguez because the Cañuelas Fútbol Club (CFC) had a girl in their team.

We believe that it is the protest of the rival club that motivated the determination, as well as the sanction itself cause huge inequalities, lack a gender perspective and undermine the idea of ​​diverse and inclusive football as you dream”They said from the injured institution.

“We appreciate all the support of the members of the 2012 squad, their colleagues from the other divisions, the families of the group and all those who accompanied the team with flags, banners and voices of encouragement. Adhesion and symbology are tools for fight this type of violence to which 10-year-old footballers are victims”, Added their authorities, who a month ago added Agostina, another 10-year-old girl, in addition to Paula, to the campus.

Paula’s family, for their part, shared with the club that it is an act of discrimination. “I had been training since 2021. This year when the boys signed up for the championship they signed Pauli and accepted the registration”they explained.

But it was 13 rounds with Paula on the team until the League took an incredible position.

The protest of the Ministry of Women of the Province

Consequentially, the Ministry of Women, Gender Policies and Sexual Diversity of the Province She expressed “her concern” and doubled “her commitment to all athletes discriminated against for being women”.

“We ask for commitment from the AFA on mixed football in the training divisions of clubs which points the way to facilitate the change of league regulations, in line with the recommendations made by FIFA itself “, the agency asked.

and appreciated the attitude “Demonstrated by Club Cañuelas, which protects the player and faces the penalties imposed by the League”. “Mark the path to follow – reinforced – for all sports institutions and highlights the importance of the existence of gender commissions in clubs “.

“With this commitment and political will, the provincial state accompanies, manages and decides public policies to guarantee a fair, free, equitable and violence-free sport”, concludes the statement.

The case exploded in the networks

The Buenos Aires League has applied the AFA regulations, which indicate in article 1, chapter 2, that it is “exclusively male”. But for 13 games, there were no referees or tournament authorities to deny Paula playing ball. Nor that the club incorporated another girl a month ago.

That deconstruction is what is required of the Alfa not only by the Buenos Aires ministry, but also by social networks, where the issue has exploded before the national media.

Under the hashtag #DejenJugarAPaula, Twitter users joined the club and family’s call not to be discriminated against against girls and to allow mixed football in children’s leagues.