Cañizares slams playground football ban push and says proposer should be barred from office | OneFootball

A proposal in Sant Antoni to ban football in school playgrounds on the grounds it carries macho connotations has sparked controversy, with former Spain international Santiago Cañizares delivering a fierce rebuttal. He accused its backers of targeting the wrong issue and attacking the sport.

According to Superdeporte, the motion was put forward in the Ibiza municipality by Unidas Podemos spokesperson Angie Roselló and backed by PSOE representative Antonio Lorenzo during a council session.

Roselló argued that football pitches have historically occupied up to 80% of playground space, sit centrally and are used mainly by boys, which she said pushes girls to the margins. She proposed collective, inclusive play areas to encourage mixed participation.

Lorenzo supported the stance and was scathing about the sport. He said football is a toxic practice that harms coexistence because children copy behaviours they observe, a pattern he claimed does not occur with basketball.

Cañizares rejected the idea outright, saying those behind it hate football and must have some childhood trauma. He urged attention on what he views as today’s real threats to children, citing cyberbullying, bullying at school, childhood obesity and a rise in autism cases.

He argued that the problem is a desire to ban things and that people should be left to do as they wish. He added that the proponent should be prohibited from holding public office, and broadened his criticism to politicians, claiming the country’s biggest conflicts have been created by them, pitting people against each other.

Source: Superdeporte