Report reveals systematic sexual and emotional abuse in women's soccer league

An independent investigation lasting over a year uncovered one of the biggest sports scandals in the United States. According to the study, there is evidence of sexual misconduct and emotional abuse towards players in the National Women's Soccer League, the highest division of American women's soccer.

The report, of about 173 pages, details that it is something systematic, involving multiple coaches, clubs and players. The investigation began after a report by 'The Athletic' in 2021 found widespread abuse of players, both sexual and emotional, in the NWSL.

"Abuse in the NWSL is rooted in a deeper culture in women's soccer, starting in the youth leagues, that normalizes verbally abusive coaching and blurs the lines between coaches and players," said Sally Yates, lead investigator.

Specific cases of the investigation

Some of the systematic cases are detailed in the report. It includes a coach who called a player to show her a video of a game, but in the end he shows her porn. Another of the cases cited is that of two players forced to have sexual relations with each other.

Yates also explained that the report found that the leaders of the NWSL and the United States Soccer Federation, the governing body of the sport in the United States, as well as owners, executives and coaches at all levels, did not act on years of voluminous and persistent reports of abuse by coaches.

"Teams, the League and the Federation not only repeatedly failed to respond adequately when confronted with player reports and evidence of abuse, they also failed to institute basic measures to prevent and address it," Yates said.

Similarly, the report also revealed that three clubs - Portland Thorns, Racing Louisville FC and Chicago Stars - did not cooperate with investigators. "The Portland Thorns interfered with our access to relevant witnesses and made misleading legal arguments in an attempt to prevent our use of relevant documents."

One of the main coaches involved is Paul Riley, a former Portland manager. Allegations of sexual misconduct were filed against Riley every year from 2015 to 2021, for example, and an anonymous survey of players in 2014 also identified Riley, then coach of the Portland Thorns, as verbally abusive and sexist. report.

The investigation is not over yet. A separate joint investigation by the NWSL and its players' association is yet to be clarified, and the report also failed to investigate youth soccer, even as it made clear that investigators believe abuse is prevalent there as well.

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