Prostitute scandal jolts Mexico squad

MEXICO CITY

Members of Mexico’s national football squad held a farewell party with around 30 prostitutes before the team traveled to Europe ahead of the World Cup, reports said on June 5.

According to the TVNotas gossip magazine, nine members of Mexico’s World Cup squad partied with dozens of escorts at a private compound in Mexico City last Saturday following the team’s 1-0 win over Scotland at the Aztec Stadium.

The magazine published grainy images of players arriving at the party under the headline “The true farewell of the Tri!”

However, Mexican officials said the players involved will not be sanctioned because they attended the party in their free time. Guillermo Cantu, general secretary of the Mexican Football Federation, said the players would not be punished because “they have not missed training.”

“A free day is a free day and those are the risks that one runs with freedom,” Cantu was quoted as saying.

Among the players in attendance were goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa and Benfica striker Raul Jimenez.