Sports presenter Diletta Leotta, fiancee of Newcastle goalkeeper Loris Karius, has opened up on the sexist comments she has received from her critics.

The 32-year-old, who is a regular on the screens of fans in her native Italy, revealed that most discriminatory statement have come from women, admitting the vitriol 'hurt like crazy'. 

'The worst thing was: "You're only here because of your t**s,"' she told the magazine F.  'A colleague from Sky Sport told me how people were talking about me. 

'I had just arrived, I was twenty years old: it hurt like crazy. At home that evening I let out a liberating cry. That brought out the lion in me, I learned a lot. 

'I got my degree [in law] so that no one could ever say something like that to me again.'

DAZN presenter Diletta Leotta opened up on the sexist comments she receives in the industry

Leotta and Karius began dating in October 2022 before having a child in August the following year and then getting engaged in February this year.

She lives in her homeland with their daughter, Aria, with Karius situated in Newcastle while he is involved in club football - though the former Liverpool stopper is out of contract at the end of June. 

Leotta continued to share her negative experiences in broadcasting and claimed that solidarity and mutual understanding are in short supply among women. 

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'The problem is female competition,' she alleged, which rears its head when 'we sit in positions that are normally occupied by men, like in football.'

Though disparaging statements from her peers have reduced since her younger days, the DAZN presenter and model is still subjected to criticism. 

Earlier this month, well-known Italian journalist and presenter Paola Ferrari slammed Leotta choice of attire and claimed 'ennobling the nude' was a step backwards for women in the industry.

'She is very good and brings in advertising revenue.' Ferrari told Corriere della Sera. 'But if you ask me if I would like my daughter Virginia to be like her, then I answer no. 

'Today it is fashionable to claim your freedom by showing yourself without clothes: Mary Quant's time has passed. Ennobling the nude with feminism seems petty to me: once we didn't want to appear beautiful but good, now they want to be beautiful first of all, it's a step backwards.'

Earlier this year, Leotta grabbed headlines when he asked Karius to leave St James' Park due to the inconvenience of living in the area.

The German has made one appearance for the club this season, coming in the 4-1 defeat to Arsenal in February, after putting pen-to-paper on a new contract in the summer having impressed Eddie Howe in his time with his side last season.

'Loris has people at his side who work for him,' she told Italian newspaper Tuttosport. 'I hope he makes the best decision for his career.

'I live in Milan, so let's say being close to Milan would be ideal for us. I always tell him, players who come to Serie A then fall in love with Italy and often stay there forever. I think that could happen to him too.

'[He should join] Monza or any other team in Italy. I would be happy if he came to Italy to play near his family.

'Newcastle is very inconvenient because there are no direct flights. Neither about Paris nor about Amsterdam.'