Dubai: The lack of black managers in English football is indicative of unconscious racism in society, according to former Liverpool winger John Barnes.
Chris Hughton’s sacking by Norwich City this month took the number of black managers in English football to zero.
Former Celtic and Jamaica manager Barnes said black managers were given fewer opportunities and less time to prove themselves compared to their white counterparts due to misconceptions about their intellectual ability.
“We’ve seen seven black players on a field playing for England so from a physical point of view racism doesn’t exist anymore,” said Barnes. “But with mental capability, which is what management is all about, we still have it all to overcome.
“Until we dispel all the myths about people’s ability from a moral and intellectual point of view, that will continue and football can do nothing about it.
“We have been brought up in a Western-educated society that says certain people are better than others and intellectual ability is the last bastion. We still have misconceptions about where people are from, and from a moral and intellectual point of view black people have been way down the pecking order.”
Barnes used the example of African nations employing white football coaches and Scotsmen being perceived as better managers because of stereotypical notions of success.
“I could say things in the exact same way as Sir Alex Ferguson but it won’t be received the same way because it’s coming from me,” said Barnes.
“If I was successful at a club, I wouldn’t get the sack and the fans would love me. However, if I’m not successful, I will be sacked quicker than a white manager because of the stereotypical view that: ‘Well he wasn’t good enough for the job anyway’.”
