FIFA and CONCACAF are among the organizations to offer messages of support to Katia Itzel Garcia after the referee was the subject of death threats this week. Garcia was the subject of harassment following last week's Leagues Cup match between Monterrey and FC Cincinnati, which ended as a 3-2 win for the MLS side. The game featured a controversial offside call, one which ultimately led to a Cincinnati goal following a VAR review. In the days following the match, the 32-year-old official publicly shared messages she'd received from a fan. In those messages, the fan threatened to kill Garcia and her entire family. Garcia shared those messages on Instagram, prompting a wave of support from organizations worldwide. In her social media post, Garcia revealed messages she received on Instagram, reading: "You're going to die... We're the ones in charge in Mexico, so don't hide too much... There's no date that's unfulfilled, no word that's unfulfilled." Another read: “We’re going to kill your entire family.” Garcia responded with a message via her own Instagram story. "In Mexico, a country where 10 women are murdered every day, where 91 people are murdered every day (men and women), we cannot normalize violence," she said. "I totally reject violence in all spaces!"
In the days following the incident, Katia Itzel Garcia has received strong backing from FIFA, CONCACAF, the Mexican Football Federation (FMF), and her domestic league club, Monterrey. Each organization condemned the threats made against her and reaffirmed their commitment to protecting referees and combating violence in the sport. FIFA president Gianni Infantino issued a statement emphasizing the importance of respecting referees. “Without referees there is no soccer, so we must protect them and respect their role in our sport," Infantino said Monday. "In football and in society, there is no room for abuse, discrimination or violence of any kind. At FIFA, we stand in solidarity with the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol and CONCACAF to condemn the actions of those who make these unacceptable threats. We offer our unconditional support so that those responsible are accountable.” Monterrey also publicly denounced the threats and called for a broader cultural shift. “The aggressions, such as those recently denounced by the Mexican referee Katia Itzel Garcia and any other type of manifestation of violence, are inadmissible and we must all make them visible, denounce them, reject them and avoid normalizing them,” the club said. The FMF echoed those sentiments in a formal statement of support. “The Mexican Football Federation (FMF), through the Referee Committee, strongly condemns the acts of intimidation and threats directed against the FIFA referee Katia Itzel Garcia, and expresses its full support for the statements and public expressions made by her,” the federation stated. “The Federation will advise and accompany Garcia in the complaint process before the corresponding authorities. Likewise, the FMF is in permanent communication with CONCACAF as well as with the Organizing Committee of Leagues Cup with the sole objective of guaranteeing the integrity and safety of Garcia and all the referees in the tournament.”
Source: Yahoo
