‘Lesbian breeding ground’: Colombian team's boss apologizes for women’s football comments

The president of Colombian football club Deportes Tolima has apologized for comparing female players with alcoholics and describing women’s football as "a tremendous lesbian breeding ground."

Gabriel Camargo, who led his team to the 2018 Colombian Apertura title, caused a stir in his home country in December by making controversial remarks about female players insisting that women’s games are economically unprofitable.

“It's going badly, it doesn't give anything, not economically, not any of those things,” Camargo told journalists on December 20. “Apart from the problems you get with women, they're more addicted to alcohol than men... Apart from that, I tell you, it's a tremendous lesbian breeding ground."

Camargo triggered a public uproar in Colombia with several leading female players lambasting the football chief for the comments.

"President Camargo, don't forget where your sons come from... A woman or do you want a woman footballer to iron clothes and bring you the club's plates? Respect," Yoreli Rincon, a midfielder with Atletico Huila, said.

Camargo has now apologized, saying that he didn’t intend to offend anyone.

"I declare it wasn't my intention to offend women footballers, let alone undermine their fundamental rights of equality, non-discrimination, dignity, honor and good name," he wrote in a letter published on the club's Twitter account.