- Clarence Seedorf believes there are unequal opportunities for black managers
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Clarence Seedorf highlights the problem in football when it comes to equal opportunities for black managers and calls for more action.
“Unfortunately there is a gap in opportunities for black coaches. It’s still a problem,” Seedorf told Mail Sport. “I’m not working anymore (as a coach since 2019), but I haven’t had many more offers. What’s that like for someone with my career?
‘I’m not saying that a good playing career necessarily brings good clubs, but the lack of opportunities is a problem. I’m not the only one. Look at people like Thierry Henry, Sol Campbell, Edgar Davids, Patrick Kluivert and so on.
“We are talking about legends who have their coaching license and who want to coach. This is everyone’s game and we want to see equality in football, just as we want to see equality in society,” the 48-year-old added.
The Dutchman is the only player to have won the Champions League with three different clubs and took the job at AC Milan out of retirement in 2014, only to be sacked by his former club after four months. He has not held a coaching role since 2019, when he was manager of Cameroon.
AC Milan icon Clarence Seedorf believes football struggles to provide equal coaching opportunities for black managers
The Dutch legend had a glittering career, playing for top clubs such as Milan, Inter and Real Madrid and would later go on to manage the Rossoneri
A 2022 report by the Black Footballers Partnership (BFP) found that 43 percent of players in the Premier League are black, but less than five percent of professional football coaches in the top four divisions are black.
Further research conducted by the BFP earlier this year found that non-black players were 50 percent more likely to attain management roles over a 30-year period than black players.
That report found that a black manager is 41 percent more likely to be fired than a white manager, when factors such as performance are equal.
“I wish journalists would dig deeper into why there is such a big disparity in the number of black players and coaches,” Seedorf said. “Racism is not an opinion. We now have signs of what it means and how it works.
“Unfortunately, this is a battle we all have to win. There is some movement through FIFA and UEFA on these issues. Equal opportunities, that’s what it’s all about,” he added.
Seedorf claims that players like Sol Campbell (left) and Patrick Kluivert (right) have had a lack of opportunities in management
Former Arsenal teammates Patrick Vieira (left) and Thierry Henry (right) have also become coaches
Seedorf has urged that more needs to be done to address the problem of unequal coaching opportunities for black managers
Seedorf had other jobs at Shenzhen FC in China in 2016 and Deportivo La Coruna in Spain in 2018, but none of his jobs lasted longer than a year.
Since being sacked by Cameroon five years ago, he has worked mainly in the media and will be part of Prime Video’s Champions League coverage this season.
“It’s a privilege to still be so close to the pitch and it’s a great feeling to be able to follow both young and established talents,” he said.
“But we need to raise awareness and put more pressure on the people who are making these decisions to ensure that there is more equality in the game.”
Clarence Seedorf spoke to Mail Sport, courtesy of bet365as part of their global partnership with the UEFA Champions League
The former AC Milan midfielder has not held a coaching role since 2019 but says it is a ‘privilege to stay close to the pitch’