Union asks Argentina to fire coach for sexual harassment

The international footballer's union has told FIFA that a coach working for the Argentine federation should be fired after being accused of sexual harassment by several underage female players.

FIFPRO said in a statement Thursday that it is assisting ''multiple high-profile women footballers in Argentina'' after complaints ''about the deeply concerning behavior over several years by a coach currently employed by the Argentine football association.'' The coach was not identified.

''In what should have been a safe environment, girls and women were subjected to threats and comments of a violent and sexually explicit nature,'' FIFPRO said.

The statement said the victims detailed their cases to FIFA's ethic committee on how the coach ''used his position of power in the women's game in Argentina to sexually harass and bully teenaged girls as young as 14 who were pursuing their dream to become footballers.'' Argentina's soccer body said it will collaborate with the investigation. It added it is not part of the complaint and is not aware of the identity of the person accused or the victims.

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