Queiroz arrived at Barça in the summer of 2020, with a record for the subsidiary team. The footballer speaks of those months as a process of adaptation that is broken when the Brazilian national team calls her. “At first I was told that playing with the national team would not be the best thing for my future at the club. Despite the unpleasant and persistent harassment, I did not pay much attention to it,” he said. “Over time, the attacks began to take place through other mechanisms of pressure inside and outside the club. They were abusively cornering me to give up defending the Brazilian national team. Arbitrary methods were used with the clear goal of harming my professional life “, denounces the footballer. The club denies the allegations and categorically denies any pressure on the footballer.
The version that Barça provides to ARA is that Queiroz had been called up with Brazil just when he was in close contact with a positive for covid. “The regulations stated that they had to be in their forties and could not travel. She was doing it, following this rule, and decided to leave without saying anything to anyone. The club has complied with the protocols at all times,” they say. Barça entity, where they also claim that the footballer saw the possibility of going with the national team and wanted to take advantage of the opportunity, “also economic”, which was the call.
Totally opposite versions
Queiroz left the national team with “FIFA authorization and full knowledge of the club”, says the footballer, which Barça denies. On his return to Barcelona, Barça decided to “take away the prize of being in the discipline of the first team because he had committed a serious undisciplined act”, they say from the club. Throughout the letter, the footballer highlights the role of the “club director” as the key figure in “abusive behavior”, in reference to Markel Zubizarreta, Barça’s top female executive. The footballer accuses her ex-superior of being “inflexible, quite aggressive and threatening” while stressing that his intention with her was to “destroy her reputation, undermine her self-esteem, degrade her working conditions and underestimate her psychological conditions”.
Sources in the locker room admit to ARA that it was Zubizarreta who informed the captains andstaff of the decision that Queiroz return to the discipline of the branch. At that time, the Brazilian footballer reported to compliance its situation and this one solved in favor of the club. FIFA ruled in the same direction contrary to the position of the footballer. In other words, all that was done was to follow the current health regulations.
“Over time, psychological abuse and violence became more intense and destructive,” said Queiroz, who called for the club to “fulfill its institutional role and act consistently and transparently, investigating and reporting possible offenses to the relevant authorities “. In addition to the letter, the footballer claims to have sent a complaint to Barça “with all the details, main foundations and other evidence” of the situations reported. “Those responsible for the abusive behavior are perfectly identified,” he said.
