PARIS: France has a lot of ground to make up as host to next year’s Women’s World Cup finals after the manner in which Ada Hegerberg was treated when she became the first winner of a women’s Ballon d’Or from French magazine France Football writes KEIR RADNEDGE.

The magazine has been struggling to maintain the credibility of its awards for some years and suffered a major own goal with the presentation questioning by a French DJ whose stage name, Martin Solveig, belies the fact that he is French.

The incident overshadowed the awarding of the men’s prize to Luka Modric.

Women’s football has had to struggle against chauvinistic insults ever since the then president of world federation FIFA Sepp Blatter suggested more figure-hugging kit.

The latest insulting nonsense erupted when Norway’s Hegerberg was asked by Solveig if she would twerk.

Hegerberg said no and the show direction cut the camera image away.

Later Solveig, real name Martin Picandet, posted a video on Twitter in a half-hearted attempt to apologise. He claimed his request was lost in translation, and that he had not meant to offend.

He said: “Sincere apologies to anyone I may have offended. My point was : I don’t invite women to twerk but dance on a Sinatra song. Watch the full sequence People who have followed me for 20 years know how respectful I am especially with women.”

Too late.

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