Shakira Fans Defend Her From Misogynistic Banner Ahead of Boyfriend Gerard Pique’s Soccer Match

Fans are supporting Shakira after photos of banners directed at her began spreading online. This past weekend, Shakira fans stood by the 44-year-old singer with the hashtag “Respect Shakira.” In one of the photos, a banner read “Shakira a La Jonquera.” According to the New York Times, La Jonquera is located on the border of France and Spain and has “one of the largest brothels in Europe.”

The sign was held up by a group of Paris Saint-Germain fans, according to The Sun. The team is set to face Barcelona in the UEFA Championship on Wednesday, March 10. Shakira’s longtime boyfriend is Gerard Pique who plays for Barcelona, and the couple has two kids together. Pique is not expected to play in Wednesday’s match due to a knee injury.

This isn’t the first time this has happened to Shakira. According to Yahoo! Entertainment, in 2012 photos began to spread online of fans passing around a naked blow-up doll with “Shakira” written on the back after Real Madrid won the Spanish league title. There were also banners directed at Shakira in the 2016 match.

“It’s 2021 and they still get away with disgustingly sexist comments made on banners, sexist chants aimed at her etc…It’s a regular occurrence that’s gone on for years,” one person wrote on Twitter. “She doesn’t deserve it as does no woman. We shouldn’t stand by and accept her being degraded.

“It’s not even one team. It’s all of them,” another Twitter user wrote. “The culture around football clubs and the sexist comments they make aimed at women is common place and it’s sickening. It needs to STOP. For years they’ve been degrading Shakira in so many ways and nobody does anything.”

Pique, 34, has been in a relationship with Shakira since 2011. Along with being 10 years apart, Pique and Shakira share the same birthday (February 2). Pique has been with Barcelona since 2008 and has also played for Spain’s national team where he helped the squad win the World Cup in 2010.