England Women head coach Sarina Wiegman hopes that the team will be more racially diverse in the future. Former England defender Anita Asante believes that the game needs reforms to achieve greater diversity with just three members of the 23 at Euro 2022 coming from minority backgrounds. England’s opening game broke records with a 69,000-strong crowd in attendance, predominantly made up of a young, female crowd.
“I think football needs inclusion and diversity. So absolutely, everyone who wants to be involved in football, in whatever position, play the game or do something else, should be welcome,” England Women head coach Sarina Wiegman said. “I know the FA has set strategies in place to empower that, to get more diversity in the game, so that’s something for the longer term. So I hope in the longer term we get more diversity, also in the national team. I think for now, for me I don’t care whether someone is Black, or white, everyone knows that – I just pick the players that I think are the best to perform at the best level. That’s short-term, but hopefully, in the future, there is more diversity.”
“We’re happy as a player group because a lot of the girls feel very passionately about it too. We all do, but I’ve heard a few speak very well to the FA and it was received as well as we’d hoped,” England Women captain Leah Williamson said. “It’s definitely a priority for them and we’re on the right path to make it ready for those young girls. This tournament is going to inspire so many more young girls to want to play football. Nobody should then be denied the opportunity to be involved. It’s something we feel passionate about and luckily so does the FA. Hopefully, we’ll see the effects in the future.”
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