Petronella Ekroth says being at Juventus was like being ‘in prison’ as her teammates were ‘forbidden’ to talk about the Cristiano Ronaldo rape case.
Ekroth helped Juve win the women’s Scudetto last season but has since returned to her native Sweden with Djurgardens.
In an interview with Expressen, she hit out at the Bianconeri for silencing her over the allegations of sexual assault levelled at Ronaldo.
Petronella Ekroth says being at Juventus was like being ‘in prison’ as her teammates were ‘forbidden’ to talk about the Cristiano Ronaldo rape case.
Ekroth helped Juve win the women’s Scudetto last season but has since returned to her native Sweden with Djurgardens.
In an interview with Expressen, she hit out at the Bianconeri for silencing her over the allegations of sexual assault levelled at Ronaldo.
“I tried to look at things with a broader perspective, improving as a footballer and as a human being,” said the defender.
“In the end I was right to stay, even if there were several strange things going on. My vision of how to treat people is different to theirs.
“I don’t think foreign women players were treated like the Italian women. There were situations where I sometimes wondered if I was on Candid Camera. Then I got used to it.
“I understand that there are different ways to manage things, but some of them aren’t good.
“We were forbidden to talk about the case. We stayed silent and we couldn’t mention it. The only thing to do was keep a low profile and work towards the club’s values.
“I kept myself closeted because I felt that my opinions didn’t count. It felt a bit like I was in prison. I really couldn't do everything I wanted.
“You can show one side of the coin, but there is much more that remains hidden, things that unfortunately can’t be talked about, shown and so on.
“You’re very limited in so many things. Some things you can do and others you can’t, which isn’t good.
“I felt like I could lose a part of myself. It was difficult.”
Image credit juventus.com