Unequal Playing Field: Black Football Managers Face Systemic Barriers in England

A report by the UK-based advocacy group Black Footballers Partnership (BFP) has revealed that non-Black former soccer players in England are 50% more likely than their Black counterparts to progress into management.

The report also found that Black managers or assistants are 41% more likely to be fired. The lack of opportunities for Black coaches is a “systemic issue” and affects the industry that relies on their talent. The BFP found that 43% of Premier League players were Black, but only 4.4% of managerial positions for former players were taken up by Black applicants.

According to the report, Black managers were also less likely than their non-Black counterparts to be promoted, have their careers stall earlier, and be fired sooner.

The BFP argues that a career in football management often looks like a game of snakes and no ladders, but for Black former players, it is essentially all snakes and no ladders.