The coach of a Brazil women’s football team has resigned after several players accused him of psychological and sexual harassment, the club announced late Thursday.
Kleiton Lima, the coach of the women’s Santos team, has “denied the accusation,” the club said in a statement.
Several players had accused him of abuse during training sessions, of which they had sent evidence to club president Andres Rueda, reported Brazilian website UOL, without giving further details.
“An accusation like this is very serious and I will take legal measures,” Lima was cited by UOL as saying.
He said he had never been the target of such complaints and accused players of trying to “tarnish” his 30-year coaching history.
Lima had coached the team since 2022. He was the coach of the national woman’s team during the 2011 Women’s World Cup.
The accusations come as women’s football is under the spotlight after Spain’s football chief Luis Rubiales forcibly kissed a player after the country’s World Cup victory last month.