Barcelona respond to "abusive behaviour" accusations by teenage forward Gio

Barcelona insisted they "acted properly" after Brazilian forward Gio made accusations of "abusive behaviour" in regards to her time at the club on Tuesday.

The 18-year-old, also known as Giovana Queiroz, joined Barcelona in July 2020 and is currently on loan at fellow Spanish club Levante. Gio is viewed as one of the best youngsters in the women's game and has already won five senior caps for Brazil.

But she's yet to make a first-team appearance for Barcelona and believes she was mistreated after going away with her national side. Gio was also eligible to play for Spain and the US after representing both countries at U17 level.

In an open letter, Gio said she got on "very well" with the coaching staff on arriving at the Johan Cruyff Stadium. They had a "good dynamic" for some time "until I received the first call from the Brazilian national team" in October 2020, during the Covid pandemic.

Gio claims she was "subjected to illegal confinement when trying to report for international duty. At the time, travelling was problematic due to the pandemic, with many needing to complete spells in quarantine.

"She [the doctor] claimed that she [Gio] would be a close contact of a positive Covid case," wrote Gio. "From the beginning I sensed that the real reasons for the confinement were others. As the doctor's order was contrary to health protocol, I contacted the Catalan Health Department directly and asked for clarification.

"The answer was clear and forceful. My case was not and could not be considered a close contact according to the current health protocol. When questioned, she replied, 'Your case is different. I was authorised to make a special confinement for you.' I, indignant, still asked: 'How special?' She avoided the subject and never answered me!"

Gio added: "After completing the quarantine imposed, I received authorisation from FIFA to join the Brazilian National Team in the United States, with the full knowledge of the club. Before traveling and during the concentration period, I carried out several PCR tests, always with negative results.

"When I returned to Barcelona, they called a meeting with the club director. At that meeting, I was accused of having committed serious indiscipline and that, therefore, I would be removed from the team and suffer serious consequences.

"I was completely shocked. They unfairly accused me of having breached the confinement, of having travelled without authorization from the club and without the consent of the team captains."

Gio went on to say: "FC Barcelona is not directly responsible for the reported abusive conduct. The club must be responsible for ensuring physical, mental, psychological and moral integrity against any form of violence, establishing comprehensive protection through awareness, prevention, protection and repair of the damage caused.

"My personal and professional life was deeply affected by these deeply demeaning and negative experiences. The memories, the trauma, and its effects are likely to last for many years. I lived through many months of anguish and sadness, something unimaginable when I arrived at the club.

"Today I want to take the first step to fully recover my freedom and emotional stability and that is why I decided to write this open letter. I hope that FC Barcelona fulfils its institutional role and acts consistently and transparently, investigating and reporting possible crimes to the relevant authorities.

"I also hope that the club, through its president, commits to implementing effective measures to combat the evident and well-documented problem of moral abuse, workplace harassment and psychological violence against women. Finally, I want to express my deep gratitude to all the people who have helped and supported me in the most difficult moments of my life."

Barcelona are the reigning Women's Champions League holders and have won all 25 league games this season, scoring 138 goals and conceding just seven. Responding to the allegations, Barcelona said: "Government rules did not permit the travel with Brazil. A process was opened to look at how the club handled the situation and both the club and FIFA found that FC Barcelona acted properly."