Australia's Matildas has issued a statement defending the culture of the national women's football set-up after former international striker Lisa De Vanna made allegations of sexual assault, harassment, bullying and grooming. De Vanna's statement last week that she had witnessed women abusing younger female players over her two decades with the Matildas was followed by other allegations from former players in the media. ALSO READ | Panama stuns U.S. 1-0 in World Cup qualifierDe Vanna's allegations came against the background of allegations of misconduct against a male coach in North America's National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), which triggered investigations from FIFA and US Soccer. Football Australia last week announced an independent complaints procedure run by government agency Sport Integrity Australia would be put in place to investigate allegations from former players and staff. "We stand supportive of athletes who are able to come forward and report instances of inappropriate behaviour in their respective environments, and therefore welcome an independent review into this matter," the Matilda's statement concluded.

Source: The Hindu October 10, 2021 23:48 UTC