WSL managers say coaches who have relationships with their players should be sacked

Aston Villa Women manager Carla Ward believes coaches who have relationships with their players should be sacked.

Ward’s thoughts were echoed by Bristol City boss Lauren Smith, with Arsenal’s Jonas Eidevall describing such relationships as “very inappropriate”.

The comments from Women’s Super League managers come less than a week after the news that Leicester City manager Willie Kirk is under investigation over an alleged relationship with one of his players. That came only a few weeks after it emerged that Jonathan Morgan had a ‘secret’ three-year relationship with a teenage player while he was Leicester manager.

“I feel even stronger than I did two years ago because the game is growing at a rapid rate,” Ward said on Thursday. “Our job and our duty is to protect players, first and foremost.

“So to cross that line is unacceptable and it can’t happen. It makes me very angry because we’re here to set an environment, a comfortable place that people come to work, where they feel safe, where they feel backed, where they feel looked after. I just don’t understand anyone who crosses that line. The game is professionalised.

“I’m not sure what the code of conduct is. What I can say is my views on it and my views are very strong.”

Asked whether it should be a sackable offence, Ward replied: “Yes.”

The Guardian reported that Kirk, 45, is understood to have been suspended by his club pending the investigation into the allegations and as a result, missed his side’s win over Liverpool at Prenton Park last week. A Leicester spokesperson said: “Willie Kirk is assisting the club with an internal process, the outcomes of which will be determined in due course.”

Kirk’s agent, Jo Tongue, said she would not be making any comment while an investigation was underway.

“My view is that there’s no grey area,” Smith said. “It’s unacceptable and it shouldn’t happen. I believe it’s a sackable offence. That goes not just from the head coach position, it’s a position of power within the staffing team. That’s absolutely how I feel about it.

“Is it a problem within the women’s game? I think the fact we’re having the conversation shows it is an issue on something that needs to be looked at, dealt with sooner rather than later. We’ve seen other instances across the world where things get ignored and pushed under the carpet. It’s not time for that, it’s time for action and consequences.”

Speaking ahead of his side’s crucial WSL game against Chelsea, Eidevall added: “I think it’s very inappropriate for a number of reasons. It’s a clear no with relationships between players and managers. If you look in women’s football — and there’s doubt when you read NWSL reports — there are major issues within the game. There have been major issues in the game in the past as well which tells you, unfortunately there are still issues in some places.

“That concerns me from a player welfare perspective and I absolutely think governing bodies, leagues, clubs and associations need to be strong on that because it’s very inappropriate and it goes over player welfare which is very sad.”

(Jess Hornby/Getty Images)