Football scandal in England
Sexual relationship with a player? – Leicester City manager sacked
As of: 11:41 a.m. | Reading time: 2 minutes
Willie Kirk (l.) was released by Leicester City. He is said to have violated the “team code of conduct”.
Quelle: picture alliance/empics/Bradley Collyer
Leicester City part ways with Willie Kirk. The coach is said to have had an intimate relationship with one of his players. Even England’s national coach gets involved. This is not the first incident for Leicester in the women’s team.
English women’s football is currently experiencing an unusual coach dismissal. Willie Kirk, 45, is no longer coach of Leicester City’s women’s team. The reason is not a lack of success – but on an interpersonal level: Kirk is said to have had a relationship with a female player.
A statement from the club on Thursday said: “Following extensive internal disciplinary proceedings, it was determined that Willie had violated the team’s code of conduct to an extent that made his position untenable.” Those responsible also wanted further details due to the “preservation of privacy ” do not publish. Kirk was suspended from the club at the beginning of the month; At that time, the club had explained that “an internal process” was the reason for the dismissal.
The Scot, who has been coach at Leicester since 2022, has not been on the sidelines in the past three games. During this time, the club investigated a complaint about the alleged relationship between Kirk and a female player, which was first reported by The Guardian.
England coach condemns relationship
After Kirk’s suspension, his assistant Jennifer Foster took over the team and led the team to a 2-0 win against Liverpool. The win meant Leicester reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup for the first time. The club have since confirmed that Foster will take charge of the team until Kirk’s permanent successor is appointed.
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It is not the first time that those responsible in Leicester have faced such an incident. At the beginning of February, Sheffield United fired Jonathan Morgan, the coach of the women’s team. This came after it became public that Morgan had also been in a relationship with a female player during his time at Leicester City. The player, who according to her own statements was only 17 years old when the relationship started, had made the relationship public.
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Meanwhile, several coaches and officials in the Women’s Super League have spoken out against relationships between coaches and players, even though they are not banned. Last week, England coach Sarina Wiegman condemned these relationships as “very inappropriate and not healthy.”
