The Football Association (FA) says it is “proud” of plans to ensure at least a quarter of the England men’s coaching staff are from black, Asian, mixed or other ethnic backgrounds – responding to Reform UK complaints the strategy is “complete nonsense”.
former home secretary Suella Bravermanwho broke away from the Conservatives ImprovementWrote earlier on Monday FA Chief executive Mark Bullingham called for Target to be scrapped.
It was introduced two years ago by the governing body, which covers teams from the men’s senior team down to the under-17s, with the ambition to reach 30% non-white, or at least 25%, of their coaching teams by 2028.
Ms Braverman, who draws parallels to Reform, said the men’s team goals were “fundamentally flawed, inherently racist and bad for the game” because “the best coaches should get the job, not because of the color of their skin, but because they are the best person for the job”.
While he requested a meeting with Mr Bullingham to discuss his diversity, equality and inclusion policies, the governing body responded publicly within hours, defending the diversity plans and agreeing that the “best people” would be appointed to the jobs.
In full: The FA’s response to reform criticism
An FA spokesperson told Sky News: “Football has the unique ability to break down barriers and bring communities together.
“Through our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (EDI), we aim to ensure that sport reflects the full diversity of our nation.
“This means opening doors and creating opportunities for people from all backgrounds – including historically underrepresented groups.
“While we will always take a meritocratic approach by appointing the best people to the roles, we also recognize the importance of a wide range of participants in the game.
“We are proud that our strategy is supporting the development of football among men, women, boys and girls from all communities.”
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Ms Braverman said she supported the FA’s fight against racism in football.
But he added: “Your DEI strategy does exactly that, it divides rather than unites. It replaces meritocracy with quotas and imposes identity politics where teamwork, ability and hard work should prevail.”
