Kevin Keegan has said he «doesn't like hearing women talk about the England men's team». Photo: Daily Mirror/Julian Hamilton
Kevin Keegan has been dubbed a “dinosaur” for his “archaic, meaningless and uneducated” remarks about female pundits analyzing the England men’s team.
The former England manager made the comment to a crowd of around 250 people at an event called «An Evening with Kevin Keegan» in Bristol last week, saying he had a «problem» with the «England footballer». «, giving his opinion on men's football.
In comments published by The Times, Keegan said: «I'm not that keen on it, I have to be honest and that view may not be shared. I don't like hearing women talk about the England men's team at a match because I don't think it's the same experience. I have a problem with this.»
The 72-year-old's views have sparked a backlash among some of the country's most powerful women in football, with charity Women in Football accusing him of «gender apartheid».
Former England striker and now pundit Eni Aluko, who has represented her country more than 100 times, compared Keegan to a «dinosaur».
“The great thing is that we have leading football broadcasters and producers both in the UK and abroad. don’t take the archaic, meaningless and uneducated view that Kevin Keegan has expressed about female pundits,” Aluko told Telegraph Sport. «Nobody wants to hire dinosaurs, so his opinion is his problem.»
Keegan's comments, which follow the Luis Rubiales sexism scandal that rocked Spain and the football world, come months after the Women's study in Football revealed that discrimination against women in football is at an all-time high.
The campaign group's findings, published in July this year, revealed that 82 per cent of women working in the game have experienced discrimination, which includes sexism, sexual harassment and derogatory comments about ability based on gender.
'Keegan has a moral obligation to adhere to one's opinion. to himself'
Yvonne Harrison, chief executive of Women in Football, said Keegan's comments were symptomatic of the widespread misogyny faced by women in football.
“Kevin Keegan appears to be advocating a kind of gender apartheid in football, where men's games can only be discussed by men and the 'ladies' are banished to a separate room,” Harrison said. “Like everyone else, he has the right to an opinion. But on social media he is already being applauded by trolls and abusers.
“And let's not forget the actions committed by Luis Rubiales immediately after the Women's World Cup final just a few weeks ago.
“In this context, Keegan and like-minded people have a moral obligation to stick to their guns. yourself, and not give weight to a narrative that allows online abuse and threats of violence against women every day simply for doing their jobs.”
Meanwhile, leading football broadcaster Jacqui Oatley, who has commentated on men's football for more than two decades, said Keegan's assessment that only men were qualified to commentate on Gareth Southgate's team was untrue.
«Kevin is more than has the right to his opinion. I have a different opinion because I think football broadcasting has moved away from using only experts with the same experience as the players,» Oatley said.
«The ability to formulate a point of view based on broader experience, — it's just like a real one. For example, Ian Wright has never been denied the right to play football because of his gender and has never played in a major international tournament, but he is an excellent pundit whose opinion is highly valued by viewers — an ideal choice for ITV. at the Women's World Cup final.
“Lee Dixon also never played in a major tournament, but was a fixture at the World and European Championships for several decades due to his wider experience and ability. It's also worth noting that the viewership is much more diverse than when Kevin played, so it makes sense for broadcasters to reflect that in their lineups.»
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