Former Liverpool star John Barnes has slammed the lack of black managers in the top level of the game and believes he has been discriminated against in getting management jobs, ITV reports.
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Liverpool news
The 51-year-old made a great career for himself as a player with the likes of Watford, Liverpool and the England national team, but has had a harder time landing jobs in coaching, having worked only with Celtic, Tranmere Rovers and the Jamaican national side so far since he retired from playing.
Barnes has pointed to a lack of black and other ethnic minority groups in top-level jobs in other industries, and believes there is a similar problem in football in discriminating against non-white people.
“A white manager loses his job and gets another job, he loses his job, he gets another job. Very few black managers can lose their job and get another job,” Barnes said.
“What I can judge it from is by looking at society. How many black people are there in the higher echelons of any industry? We can talk about journalism, we can talk about politics. So why should football be any different?”
Given his experience in the game and the respect he has gained as a player and as an occasional pundit, it does seem surprising that the former midfielder could not find work in management, and these views have been echoed by former Arsenal striker Ian Wright.
“With someone of John Barnes’ ability and stature, to not have worked more in the game with something that he’s desperate to do. I don’t know what else it can be?” Wright said.