Raheem Sterling is a remarkable leader - The Warm-Up
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ByEurosport
Updated 15/06/2020 at 23:43 GMT
Raheem Sterling has called on the authorities to address a lack of representation for racial minorities within football. He is a remarkable leader.
Raheem Sterling of Manchester City
Image credit: Getty Images
TUESDAY’S BIG STORIES
Sterling calls for more BAME managers
Football is microcosm of society and life. As Pete Sharland argued here, sport's response to racism – just like society’s response - still isn’t enough. More must be done. The social media posts many clubs and companies have posted these last few days are a start but they become hollow if they are not followed up by actual change - just as Raheem Sterling told Newsnight on Monday night, there must be more meaningful change.
It must come from the top, and as Sterling says, the need for greater black, Asian, and minority ethnic representation in coaching and administrative roles within football in the UK is a must.
The England international cited the examples of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Sol Campbell and Ashley Cole to illustrate his point.
“The coaching staff that you see around football clubs: there's Steven Gerrard, your Frank Lampards, your Sol Campbells and your Ashley Coles. All had great careers, all played for England,” Sterling said.
At the same time, they've all respectfully done their coaching badges to coach at the highest level and the two that haven't been given the right opportunities are the two black former players.
"The change is being able to speak to people in Parliament, people at the hierarchy at my football club, football clubs across the country, people at the national team of England, to implement change and give equal chances to not just black coaches but also different ethnicities.
"Give black coaches, not just coaches but people in their respective fields, the right opportunity. I feel like that's what's lacking here, it's not just taking the knee, it is about giving people the chance they deserve.
"There's something like 500 players in the Premier League and a third of them are black and we have no representation of us in the hierarchy, no representation of us in the coaching staffs. There's not a lot of faces that we can relate to and have conversations with."
The above is inarguable. Yet, a cursory glance at social media shows that some – for reasons that defy explanation – still try to argue a counter point. There is no counter point. These are facts. There is no arguing to be done. It is not Sterling’s job to explain and illustrate what structural racism is but some of the responses show there is much work to be done. That responsibility is incumbent on all of us and it is incumbent on all of us to be better each day.
While it is incumbent on individuals to educate themselves, it also holds that Sterling has shown remarkable leadership, and for that we should be thankful.
US Soccer to consider repeal of ban on players kneeling
US Soccer still bans players from kneeling during the national anthem.
The rather incredible decision to ban players from kneeling was brought in 2017 reportedly after Megan Rapinoe knelt in 2016 in support of then San Francisco 49s quarterback Colin Kaepernick's protest against racial inequality and police brutality.
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Megan Rapinoe #15 kneels during the National Anthem prior to the match between the United States and the Netherlands at Georgia Dome on September 18, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Image credit: Getty Images
However, it appears as though they may finally be open to repealing the rule, that is according to Yahoo and ESPN.
The board is set to take a vote on the matter on Friday. The meeting will take place as protests over the killing of George Floyd continue across the world.
Obviously, the right thing to do is too repeal the ban.
Serie A will use an algorithm to decide season if necessary
These truly are unprecedented times. Unprecedented. So much so that Serie A have drawn up an in-depth contingency plan in the midst of these unprecedented times.
According to reports the FIGC are aware enough to know that despite their best efforts, it may prove impossible to complete the 2019-20 in its entirety depending on how the coronavirus pandemic develops from here.
The first option, should the 12 rounds that remain not be concluded, would be to settle the season via play-offs.
However, should that not be viable then an algorithm will come into play.
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Juventus player Cristiano Ronaldo during a training session at Allianz Stadium on June 05, 2020 in Turin, Italy. (
Image credit: Getty Images
"If an algorithm is necessary, there will be no champion unless it is mathematically certain at the point the season is stopped again," reports NBC.
That doesn't strike the Warm-Up as much of an algorithm to be fair.
Anyway, here is how - again according to NBC - the algorithm works:
The final points tally of each team, added to the current standings, will be based on their average points from home and away matches, multiplied by the number of remaining home and away matches.
So said algorithm will decide who is relegated and who qualifies for Europe but probably won't decide who the league winner is.
Anyway, the FIGC have set an August 20 deadline to get the season finished so get that into the diary algorithm fans.
IN OTHER NEWS
The Warm-Up can't work out whether this it responsible or not responsible but it is news. So here are Union Berlin players acknowledging Union Berlin fans who supported them in a forest in a socially distance manner.
HAT-TIP
Arsene Wenger spoke to Amy Lawrence of the Athletic. He was erudite as ever and spoke about how football can lead in the fight against racism. He remains a hugely important voice within football, sport and life. Here is the full interview.
Football can show the way to the rest of society how we should behave. We speak a lot about racism now. Football is based on merit only — not on who you are, where you come from and how you look. That’s a good way to teach the world how we should behave. Sport, in general, is a great leader in that way.
COMING UP
Ben Snowball has finally had a haircut, which means he will have ample time to write an excellent Warm-Up.
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