Former Fifa president Sepp Blatter has been accused of sexually assaulting Hope Solo, the USA women's football team goalkeeper, at the Ballon d'Or awards ceremony in January 2013.
© GettyFormer Fifa president Sepp Blatter has been accused of sexually assaulting Hope Solo, the USA women's football team goalkeeper, at the Ballon d'Or awards ceremony in January 2013.
Former Fifa president Sepp Blatter has been accused of sexually assaulting Hope Solo, the USA women's football team goalkeeper, at the Ballon d'Or awards ceremony in January 2013.

The 36-year-old claimed she "had Sepp Blatter grab my ass" at the awards event, but Blatter, via a spokeman, denied the allegations, calling them "ridiculous".

Solo presented the award for Fifa women's player of the year that year on stage alongside Blatter to her colleague Abby Wambach after the USA won gold at the Olympics in London in 2012.

In the interview with Portuguese newspaper Expresso, Solo claimed that the sexual assault had happened just moments before the pair went on stage together to present the award.

"I had Sepp Blatter grab my ass," she said. "It was at the Ballon d'Or, right before I went on stage. [Sexual harassment] has been normalised.

"For years, in the past, female players date and end up marrying their college coaches, which obviously a coach should not be doing, especially with a young player.

"I've seen it not just with coaches. I've seen it with trainers, doctors and our press officers ... I've seen it amongst players in the locker room. It's rampant.

Hope Solo accuses Sepp Blatter of sexual assault at Ballon d'Or awards ceremony
© GettySolo has played for the USA since 2000
It is not the first time Blatter, who won five elections as Fifa president between 1998 and 2015 before being banned for ethic breaches, has faced criticism for his treatment of women.
Sepp Blatter was banned from football following an investigation from Fifa's independent ethics committee (Getty)
© GettyBlatter was banned from football following an investigation from Fifa's independent ethics committee
In 2004 he came under pressure after a suggestion that female players could wear "tighter shorts" like "they do in volleyball" to make the game more appealing to a male audience, while in 2013 he called a female member of Fifa's executive committee "good, and good looking".


Comment: Everyone from Hollywood stars to staffers at the House of Common and Olympic athletes are speaking out about systemic sexual harassment and pedophilia they've encountered by those in positions of power: