Former Arsenal star Ian Wright has been accused of dominating women’s football by Nigeria-born ex-Chelsea player Eniola Aluko, Soccernet.ng reports.
The reports garnered attention this week when the former Juventus forward revealed that the England international was blocking other female pundits from succeeding in the women’s football league.
This has sparked a mixed reaction, with some sections of the women’s football community referring to her as ‘jealous.’ Meanwhile, it raises the question: Is he really dominating the women’s football space?
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What Did Eni Aluko Say About Wright?
The 38-year-old, who, like the former Arsenal player, is a pundit in women’s football, claimed that the 61-year-old should be aware of not dominating the football space.
“I’ve worked with Ian a long time, and, you know, I think he’s a brilliant broadcaster, but I think he’s aware of just how much he’s doing in the women’s game. I think he should be aware of that.
“The fact of the matter is, there is a limited amount of space available. If we had a situation where there was an equal opportunity in the men’s game for broadcasters and coaches as there is in the women’s game, it would be a free-for-all.
“But that’s not the case. I can’t dominate the men’s game in the way that, you know, you used Ian as an example,” she said on Radio Four’s Woman’s Hour.
Is Ian Wright Really Blocking Opportunities for Women? No!
According to The Telegraph, the former England striker has only served as a pundit for a single game. Although he’s featured during Lionesses fixtures on ITV, he has always shared the spotlight with other analysts—such as Karen Carney—rather than appearing solo.
He was involved in punditry for just two England matches, spending the rest of the tournament watching from the stands as a fan.
In reality, the on-air teams at both ITV and BBC were largely made up of women.
Is the ex-Arsenal Player Dominating Women’s Football? Yes!
Wright, per reports, has been funding the treatment of a Stoke City player who picked up an ACL injury and needed care to recover. This has cost him about £1,700 per month.
This is said to be one of the many things he has done to ensure that women’s football is on the world map and thriving like the men’s game.