Death threatened by footballer who refused to keep a minute of silence for Maradona

Before a friendly match Saturday against Deportivo La Coruna, all footballers, except Dapena, lined up in the middle of the field to keep a minute silent in honour of Maradona.

Maradona died last Wednesday at the age of 60, following a heart attack. Dapen sat in the field and turned his back on protest.

“Day earlier, on the Day of Elimination of Gender Violence, no such gestures were made, and if one minute silence was not held for the victims, then I would not hold one for a abuser”, she had said after the match Saturday.

Dapen had added: “I said I refused to keep a minute of silence for a rapist, pedophile and abuser, so I sat down and turned my back. To be a player, you must first be human, and I have values beyond his ability, which we know were great football qualities and talent”.

Her attitude has prompted very severe reactions, and Dapena reports that she has also received death threats.

Not just me, but my associates have been harassed in social networks. We've been threatened with death and received messages like I'm going to find your home address and I'm going to come over there and break your feet, she told me.

Maradona died on World Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Barcelona and Naples's former star had been forced to respond to charges of domestic violence in 2014, after a video showed him beating his wife, Olive.