Section 20 of the 1978 Spanish Constitution protects freedom of speech, expression and the press. Additionally, the European Convention on Human Rights protects freedom of expression. But in the case of Piqué, he did face consequences for speaking out even though he was not subject to formal sanctions. This makes me wonder: Is this a natural occurrence of democracy, or evidence of a weaker free speech tradition or culture?
Do you think athletes representing national teams ought to enjoy the same speech protections as regular citizens? What are the advantages and disadvantages of this?
