Men have taken over and are 'dominating' women's football, says trailblazing pundit

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Men have begun ‘dominating’ broadcasting and coaching in women’s football, according to trailblazing pundit Eni Aluko.

Aluko, who became Match of the Day’s first female pundit a decade ago, believes the sport has ‘gone backwards’ in several key areas.

The former Chelsea and England forward bemoaned the lack of ‘regular’ female pundits ‘across several broadcasters’ and claimed the influx of cash into the women’s game has led to men ‘dominating’ in the coverage and coaching of women’s football.

Aluko also stressed that ‘sexism, misogyny and racism’ were still ‘widespread within football fan culture’ and urged broadcasters to ‘rapidly improve their duty of care’ towards pundits who often suffer abuse, particularly on social media.

The 37-year-old, who has worked for BBC, ITV, TNT Sports and various other sports channels, ended her dissection of broadcasting in the women’s game by saying: ‘There is still a long way to go.’

Aluko made her case on LinkedIn after talent agency Tongue Tied Management paid tribute to the pundit 10 years on from her first appearance on Match of the Day, the BBC’s flagship sports programme.

’10 years ago today Eniola Aluko MBE made history becoming the first woman to be a pundit on Match of the Day,’ the agency said.

‘As an agency we had pushed for this for years and Tongue Tied Management's very own Jo Tongue MBE was working hard behind the scenes to make this happen.

‘Since then Eni has paved the way for female involvement in the men's game in both punditry and on commentary. A huge shout out to BBC, ITV, Sky, Amazon Prime, and TNT Sports for continuing to support women in the men's game.

‘There is still a long way to go but we are so proud of what Eni has achieved so far.’

Aluko responded by saying: ‘Forever grateful to Jo Tongue MBE & Tongue Tied Management for the love and respect acknowledging 10 years since making my first appearance on Match of the Day as the first female footballer to appear on MOTD. Jo and I believed that women should have a prominent voice in football.

‘I would love to be able to say in 10 years we've progressed in terms of women in football broadcasting. In some ways we have gone backwards.’

Listing the areas in which she believes the game was falling short, Aluko added: ‘1. There are still only one or two maximum regular punditry spots for women across several broadcasters. Fyi Pundits and Presenters are two different roles.

‘2. Men are now dominating broadcasting (and coaching) in the women's game because more money has become available.

‘This includes male agents with exploitative financially driven agendas within women's football demanding 20% commissions from salaries that are nowhere near the level of the men's game. Women can never dominate the men's game in the same way.

‘3. Sexism, misogyny and racism is still widespread within football fan culture.

‘Some football broadcasters need to rapidly improve their duty of care towards pundits who receive such abuse. Sexism, misogyny, racism are not 'part of the job'.

‘There is still a long way to go.’

At the start of the year, Aluko said she had been ‘genuinely scared’ after receiving abuse online, some of which came from the former England footballer Joey Barton.

‘I felt under threat this week,’ she said. ‘I’m human, and I’m more than happy to admit I’ve been scared this week.

‘I’ve genuinely been scared. I didn’t leave my house until Friday, and I’m now abroad, because it’s really important to say that online abuse has a direct impact on your safety and how you feel, and how safe you feel in real life.

‘I felt like something was going to happen to me. And I don’t say that for anyone to feel sorry for me, I say that for people to understand the reality and the impact that hate speech has; the impact that racism has; the impact that sexism and misogyny has on all of us females in the game.’

Barton was charged with making ‘malicious communications’ towards ex-Lionesses star Aluko earlier this yeah.

A trial date of May 19 has been set after Barton, 41, pleaded not guilty to the charge at Liverpool Crown Court.

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