Barcelona say they are “fully committed to combating gender-based violence” amid criticism following a visit to the club by former Bayern Munich and Germany defender Jerome Boateng.
Last week, the club posted a video, external on X, captioned ‘Welcome to the Ciutat Esportiva, Jerome Boateng’ in which he was seen hugging and talking to former team-mate Robert Lewandowski during training.
Boateng was handed a suspended 200,000 euros (£176,000) fine and a warning by a Munich court last year after he was found guilty of premeditated bodily harm against his former partner.
The 37-year-old denied injuring the mother of his twin daughters during an argument on holiday in 2018 and had appealed against an initial guilty verdict in 2021.
Last year’s trial in Munich was the third in the case against Boateng.
Barcelona posted the video of Boateng two days before the club’s first game back at their revamped Nou Camp stadium in more than two years.
Before the match, the club announced, external a minute’s silence would be held “in memory of all those women killed by male violence to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women”.
The video and subsequent announcement by the club attracted criticism on social media, with fans describing it as an “embarrassment” and “ironic”.
In a statement, Barcelona said: “Jerome Boateng has no contractual relationship or active role within the club.
“His presence was solely a one-off, educational visit as part of his personal process toward obtaining a coaching licence.
“It was not an institutional invitation for any sporting or representative duties.
“The club remains fully committed to combating gender-based violence. We understand the sensitivity surrounding this issue and regret any perception of inconsistency.
“Our tributes and moments of remembrance for women killed by male violence are an essential and non-negotiable value for us, and nothing that took place was intended to undermine that message.”
Last month, Boateng, who was part of Germany’s 2014 World Cup-winning squad, had to cancel a coaching internship he had arranged at Bayern Munich because of protests and a backlash by fans.
Boateng ended his playing career in September and plans to become a coach after receiving his UEFA B coaching licence in November 2024.
Another ex-girlfriend of Boateng took her own life in 2021. Reports in Germany at the time said he had recently ended their relationship.
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