Hope Solo: Blatter grabbed her; he says ‘ridiculous’

Hope Solo says former FIFA President Sepp Blatter grabbed her rear shortly before t he two were to appear on stage at a prestigious soccer ceremony four years ago. A representative for Blatter called the allegation “ridiculous.”

In an interview published Friday in the Portuguese newspaper Expresso, the former goalkeeper for the U.S. women’s national team recounted what happened at the Ballon d’Or awards in 2013 in Zurich.

A representative for Solo confirmed Friday that the report was accurate and said the player had no further comment.

Blatter spokesman Thomas Renggli messaged Saturday: “This allegation is ridicu- lous.”

The remarks by Solo come amid a torrent of accusations by women of sexual harassment and abuse in the entertainment and media industries.

Solo anchored the U.S. team in goal during its 2015 Women’s World Cup cham- pionship run, allowing just three goals in seven games with five shutouts during the tournament.

Solo’s time with the national team ended following last year’s Olympics in Brazil, where the Americans were ousted by Sweden in the quarterfinals. Afterward, Solo called the Swedish team “cowards” for its defensive play.

She was suspended from the team shortly thereafter and has not returned. She was dogged throughout her career with controversies, including a 2014 domestic violence case involving a family member’s home in Washington state.