Emma Hayes responds to misogynistic Joey Barton comments | OneFootball

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·8 December 2023

Emma Hayes responds to misogynistic Joey Barton comments

Article image:Emma Hayes responds to misogynistic Joey Barton comments

Chelsea Women's manager Emma Hayes has given a passionate response to Joey Barton's controversial opinion on female pundits in football.

Barton took to X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday to claim that women 'should not be given any authority to talk about men's football as it is a completely different game.' He went on to say that he cannot take anything a woman says seriously with regard to the men's game. His full quote was:

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"Women shouldn’t be talking with any kind of authority in the men’s game. Come on. Let’s be serious. It’s a completely different game. If you don’t accept that. We will always see things differently. The women’s game is thriving. Fantastic to see. I cannot take a thing they say serious in the men’s arena."

He continued this rant throughout the course of the following days, targeting the likes of Laura Woods and Alex Scott. The former Newcastle and Manchester City midfielder later appeared on Piers Morgan Uncensored where he labeled himself as a "bona fide expert" and proclaimed that tokenism and poor journalism from female pundits his ruining his enjoyment of football.

Now, the Chelsea boss has responded during her latest press conference about the former Bristol Rovers manager.

What did Emma Hayes have to say about Joey Barton?

As shared by Hayters TV online, Hayes gave a very poignant response to Barton's opinion, referencing the struggles women have had to break down barriers in the sport.

"The realities are that male privilege has been something that’s always been at the centre of football in this country, women were banned playing football up until the 1970s. “I don’t expect any individual personality to understand their privilege, nonetheless you only have to see scores of women whether you’re a presenter, a coach or a player to realise that we’re routinely used to dealing with systemic misogyny, bullying, and behaviour that has been pretty normal for a large part of the football public. “Sport is probably the last place in society where that male privilege exists and so naturally, if I go all Darwinism on us and speak evolutionary theory, the realities are that when there is an existential threat, you either evolve or you die."

Hayes herself has experience as a pundit, where she received positive feedback for her in-depth knowledge and breakdown of tactics. She recently announced that she would be leaving Chelsea at the end of the season to take over as the United States Women's national team manager.

Joey Barton sacked by Bristol Rovers

The Englishman is currently jobless

Barton's controversial comments come in the wake of his departure from Bristol Rovers. The club were 16th in League One when the Englishman got the boot, having only won once in their previous five games.

He was appointed in 2021 after a stint at Fleetwood Town and managed The Pirates in 143 fixtures before his departure. He left with a win record of 37%, averaging 1.3 points per game. That was a decrease from his 42% win record and 1.5 points per game at Fleetwood.

It remains to be seen if Barton's comments affect his chances of getting another job in professional football. Although he was known as a controversial figure during his playing days, the midfielder has potentially harmed his reputation as a result of this latest scandal.

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