The 2018 World Cup in Russia is seeing its full share of drama on the pitch.

From Neymar’s incessant rolling to the Colombian football team playing dirty, we can say for sure that the world’s biggest football competition hasn’t been dull.

However, some real drama is also happening off the pitch.

Per a report by CNN, women working in the media at the World Cup have been facing harassment, sexual assault, and online sexual abuse for the past few weeks.

This gross behaviour towards these women was first made apparent when sports journalist Julieth González Therán was sexually assaulted while reporting for German broadcaster Deutsche Welle’s Spanish news channel in the Russian city of Saransk on June 15:

Unbe-bloody-lievable.

Although she managed to finish her report, it’s clear what just happened left González Therán upset.

She uploaded the shocking footage of the incident to her Instagram with the caption:

[Female journalists] do not deserve this treatment. We are equally as professional and deserving. I share the joy of football but we must identify the limits between affection and harassment.

Not that these guys got the message.

Brazilian sports journalist Julia Guimarães was also the recipient of unwanted advances from a man who tried to kiss her while she was reporting in Yekaterinburg, and she didn’t stand for it at all:

Great response from Brazilian TV journalist Julia Guimaraes of Sportv to unacceptable behaviour. Not easy to show such restraint in the face of harassment. pic.twitter.com/eFVZz6gdMA

— Colin Millar (@Millar_Colin) June 24, 2018

Guess she showed that creep what’s what.

However, what Guimarães told Globo Esporte after the event paints a terrible picture of how troubling this issue is for her and her fellow female reporters:

It’s horrible. I feel helpless and vulnerable. This time I responded but it’s sad people don’t understand why people feel they have the right to do that.

It’s a statement that other assaulted journalists out in the field can identify with. According to CNN:

Swedish journalist Malin Wahlberg was grabbed and kissed while reporting on Sweden’s game with South Korea. Other incidents involving Argentine ESPN reporter Agos Larocca and France 24’s Kethevane Gorjestani were also reported.

Afuera de la cancha ganamos por goleada!
Una perlita de hoy @scespn (@nonoriva el guardaespaldas) pic.twitter.com/VQ4QIcMkJA

— Agos Larocca (@agoslarocca) June 16, 2018

Meanwhile, female journos behind the cameras are also facing an onslaught of misogyny:

In the UK, Vicki Sparks [pictured below], who made history by becoming the first woman to commentate a World Cup game live on television when she called Portugal’s win over Morocco, received a barrage of criticism.

Jason Cundy, a former Chelsea and Tottenham player, told a UK talk show that female football commentators are too “high-pitched.”

“I found it a tough listen. I prefer to hear a male voice. For 90 minutes listening to a high-pitched tone isn’t what I want to hear,” Cundy told ITV’s Good Morning Britain.

“When there’s a moment of drama, which there often is in football, I think that moment needs to be done with a slightly lower voice.”

Bruh, please, spare us your sexist bullshit.

After being blasted for his comments, Cundy later posted an apology on Twitter:

We’ll take your word for it, pal

Other trolls, however, have yet to let up on their abuse towards these women. In Australia, SBS presenter Lucy Zelic nearly broke down on-air while social media users attacked her:

WATCH: @LucyZelic and @Craig_Foster‘s emotional explanation of the importance of correct pronunciation and Les Murray’s legacy. ♥⚽ pic.twitter.com/lYu0DSQYlS

— SBS – The World Game (@TheWorldGame) June 25, 2018

It’s outrageous what’s happening to these women who are just trying to do their job, only for unsophisticated knobs to come along and pull disgusting stunts.

Meanwhile, where’s FIFA in all of this?

Fatma Samoura, FIFA’s first Secretary-General, condemned those responsible in a tweet:

Read the full article here.

[source:cnn]