Cascarino’s Debut Delayed by Earring Misunderstanding

Estelle Cascarino was eager to make her debut after joining West Ham on loan from Juventus.

However, her opportunity was thwarted when former England midfielder Fara Williams criticized the situation as a “schoolgirl error”. Cascarino’s debut was denied because she was wearing an earring, even though it was covered with tape, during a match in the Women’s Super League against Chelsea, where West Ham was trailing 4-0.

West Ham’s new head coach, Rita Guarino, attempted to substitute the 28-year-old defender at the start of the second half. Unfortunately, Football Association regulations stipulate that all items of jewelry must be removed, with no exceptions allowed.

Williams remarked, “I know you used to be able to have earrings taped, but the modern game doesn’t allow for it. It’s a schoolgirl error for me, especially for a new signing wanting to make an impression, and that’s not the impression you’d want.”

While Cascarino had previously played for Juventus with her earring taped, the FA rules clearly indicate that even taping jewelry is prohibited in England.

Guarino expressed her frustration, stating, “She [Cascarino] can’t take off this earring; it’s like a tattoo. She needs a doctor to remove it, and she had tape. She played in the Champions League with tape, so I can’t understand how we missed using a player in a game for this.”

Former Wales defender Nia Jones described the situation as an “absolute circus” for West Ham, who ultimately lost the match 5-0. She added, “She’s an experienced player, a French international formerly of Juventus and PSG. I was glad to see she didn’t get to come on at all because I thought that was a bit embarrassing.”

In other news, Chelsea continued to apply pressure in the title race with their decisive victory over West Ham.