Romanian businessman Gigi Becali, the owner of Bucharest’s FCSB (former Steaua Bucharest) football club, has had a controversial reaction to the idea that UEFA could ever force him to form and invest in a women’s football team. He even said that he would quit football if something like this were to happen.

“If they want me to have a women’s team, I'm pulling out of football. You can’t do things against God’s will. I have my sins. But I don’t do unnatural things,” Becali said at local sports channel PRO X, according to Digisport.ro.

He also called the possibly “an alignment to Satan’s ideas,” adding that women are not made for football but for other sports such as handball or basketball.

“The woman is made to attract the men. If we do this, we mock the forms made by God to draw the man. We're defaming the woman! Boxing and football are dangerous for women.”

In a statement for CNN, UEFA said the organization has “always shown zero tolerance for any form of discrimination,” finding intolerant behavior "deplorable.”

“UEFA strongly believes the power of football can be used to tackle such issues as racism, homophobia, discrimination against ethnic minorities and institutional discrimination such as under-representation of women, or lack of diversity.”

The organization also said that there is no requirement for clubs to set up women's teams.

This is not the first time Becali makes controversial statements, being actually known to be a quite eccentric person. Earlier this year, he was filmed herding his sheep on the busy Pipera street in Bucharest.

Gigi Becali also served two years in jail for an illegal land swap with the Defense Ministry in the 1990s, which has helped him get the land in Pipera and has brought him most of his fortune.

Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Gigi Becali Oficial on Facebook)