Barcelona striker Queiroz accuses club of psychological abuse

SAO PAULO : Barcelona striker Giovana Queiroz said she was subjected to “abusive conduct” from the Catalan club as they attempted to stop her from representing Brazil.

The Sao Paulo-born striker lived in the United States before she moved to Spain and represented all three nations at youth level.

However, after choosing Brazil at senior level she said she was “treated differently” by officials at Barcelona.

“I received indications that playing for Brazil would not be the best thing for my future with the club,” she wrote in an open letter on Twitter on Tuesday, adding that the club exposed her to “shameful and humiliating situations.”

The now 18-year-old said she had informed the Barcelona management of the “abusive conduct” she had received but did not publicly name those responsible.

Barcelona did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.

Queiroz made her competitive debut for Brazil during last year’s Tokyo Olympics.

(Reporting by Andrew Downie, editing by Pritha Sarkar)