New York City found "inappropriate and unacceptable" behavior in its investigation into allegations of sexual harassment by a former employee against some soccer players, including David Villa.
However, the Major Soccer League (MLS) club does not personally name anyone involved.
Nor the Spanish striker, who had described the accusations as "completely false."
The New York club, where Villa played between 2014 and 2018, admits that his former worker suffered "unnecessary physical contact, teasing and comments about clothing and appearance."
The franchise opened the investigation in July, shortly after the worker denounced having suffered a hostile work environment and sexual harassment by members of the club, including the top scorer in the history of the Spanish team.
A spokesman for Villa claimed that the footballer had taken the issue "very seriously and has fully collaborated with the investigation. As he said from the beginning, the accusations that were made are totally false," this employee reiterated.
"He never called me by my name"
In July, a former NYCFC employee who identified herself on Twitter as "Skyler B" detailed her version of events.
"What they did to me ruined my dreams. Villa never called me by my name. Rarely did I go a day without being grabbed or verbally harassed," explained the complainant, who said she was silent "because I know how much he is loved and difficult to face. "
Unidentified sources assured ESPN that the investigation determined that the former FC Barcelona player touched the woman in an "inappropriate" way that made her "feel uncomfortable."
Villa, 38, retired in 2019 in Japan with the Vissel Kobe jersey, although he maintains a strong bond with New York, given that he is one of the founders of Queensboro City, which in 2022 will participate in the USL Championship.
The investigation, which was commissioned from an outside firm, collected interviews with about 40 people, of whom more than half were women, according to the ESPN network.
Following this process, the NYCFC has agreed to implement "a series of changes designed to ensure that such behavior does not occur in the future."
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