Juventus players and staff were involved in an awkward encounter at the White House on Wednesday when Donald Trump attempted to get them to enter into a debate on transgender women in sport.
The Italian football giants are in the US for the Club World Cup, and defeated Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates 5-0 at Washington DC’s Audi Field hours after a selection of players, coaches and executives had been with Trump.
Members of the Juventus squad, which includes US internationals Timothy Weah and Weston McKennie, were lined up behind the president as he held forth on various topics.
Related: US supreme court upholds Tennessee ban on youth gender-affirming care
At one point Trump, who in February signed an executive order banning transgender participants from women’s sports, turned around to ask the Juventus players and staff about their views on the subject.
“Could a woman make your team, fellas,” Trump asked the players, who smiled nervously but did not offer a response.
When Trump asked the question again, Juventus’s general manager, Damien Comolli, attempted to deflect the query. “We have a very good women’s team,” he said of Juventus Women, who are the reigning Serie A champions.
“But they should be playing with women,” said Trump as Comolli chose not to answer. “He’s being very diplomatic,” said Trump.
Trump’s comments come at a time when trans people are facing increasing hostility in the US. Earlier on Wednesday, the US supreme court ruled that a Tennessee state law banning gender-affirming care for minors can stand. The ruling is a devastating loss for trans rights supporters in a case that could set a precedent for a stream of lawsuits involving the rights of transgender children.
Juventus’s victory over Al Ain included two goals each from Randal Kolo Muani and Francisco Conceição. Kolo Muani got his goals in the first half, Conceição scored either side of the interval and the Turkey forward Kenan Yildiz also found the net as Juventus dazzled the crowd with some mesmeric football.
The win sent Juventus top of Group G, level with Manchester City, who beat Wydad 2-0 earlier on Wednesday.
Igor Tudor, the Juventus coach, said: “There was lovely energy between the players; that desire to work hard for one another, to run for one another … We are going in the right direction.”
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