For these statements he should get the red card!
Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg (46) has been criticized for his statement that women referees in football should choose between their career and having children.
Clattenburg had taken part in a discussion on women as referees on the radio station “Talksport”.
background: Sara Cox (31) was the first woman to lead a rugby match in the English Premier League last weekend. Clattenburg was asked whether the Premier League could follow suit anytime soon.
Sara Cox at a men’s rugby gamePhoto: PETER CZIBORRA / Action Images via Reuters
In his answer, Clattenburg, who in 2016 whistled the Champions League final between Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid (5: 3 iE), pointed to already active female referees in England and at Uefa, then his statement followed, for which he was is now under criticism.
Clattenburg: “The problem with women is that they have a hard time getting pregnant during their refereeing career – that can set them back a long way. So you have to decide: Do you want to be pregnant or do you want to become a referee? “
The former referee added, “If you’ve had a baby, you’re nine to ten months out of action, then you need another six months to recover, so it’s almost two years.”
There is now criticism for these statements. England national rugby player Joe Marler (31), who also took part in the discussion, tweeted Clattenburg’s comments were “disrespectful and archaic”.
The managing director of the organization “Women in Football” Jane Purdoner called the statements in a statement “completely wrong”. She wrote: “Women in all professions face the challenge of balancing work and family. So do many men – but for men this is never seen as a problem, and men are never expected to choose between the two. ”
Purdoner continues: “In fact, many women in top sport are able to quickly resume their sporting career after having a child. Others take a longer break – voluntarily or by force. Neither of these scenarios is a ‘problem’. The real problem is assumptions about female biology and gender roles in childcare that are lazy, out of date, or just plain wrong. “