IRELAND'S STEPHANIE ROCHE has said that Northern Ireland's Kenny Shiels comments around women being emotional than men in football is 'the worst thing she's heard in football'.
Shiels speaking after Northern Ireland women's team's 5-0 loss to England said,
"Girls and women are more emotional than men. So they don't score very well."
"I felt [England] were struggling a wee bit at times to open us up until the psychology of going 2-0 up in the women's game, '' he said."
"[It happens] right through the whole spectrum of the women's game, because girls and women are more emotional than men."
"So, they don't score very well. When we went 1-0 down we tried to slow it down to give them time to get that emotional imbalance out of their heads.
"That's an issue we have. Not just in Northern Ireland but all of the countries in the world."
The 60-year old yesterday issued an apology for his outdated comments around the women's game.
Roche, who plays for Peamount United appeared on Claire Byrne Live and slammed the football coach for his remarks and said it is the worst thing she had ever heard in football.
"I genuinely cannot believe he has come out with that as manager of the Northern Ireland women’s national team, said the Ireland player
"He would have been better to come out and say they were beaten by a superior team.
"To blame the loss on emotional women is the worst thing I have ever heard in football. I cannot believe he has come out with that.
"I don’t know Kenny but for him to say something like that is disrespectful. It is stereotypical.
"Football is a very emotional game and that happens in the men’s game so for him to come out and talk about the defeat in the way he did and blame it on emotions and women is (wrong). Honest to God, I cannot believe he said that.
"It does happen in football where you score a goal and switch off for a minute and the other team comes and scores.
"I have never heard it being blamed on emotions, particularly women, because, as I said, it happens in the men’s game as well.
"For me, it was a strange thing for him to say. Ironically, he is probably emotional himself after the game.
"It is disappointing. Our team has made great strides over the last number of years and the reaction shows people have started taking women’s football a little bit more seriously.
"There’s a few who have said: 'He is telling the truth, he is not wrong.'
"But most people realise football is an emotional game — it happens in both men’s and women’s football — and to blame it on women being emotional is a strange way to look at it."
‘Worst thing I’ve heard in football’ – Stephanie Roche slams Northern Ireland boss Shiels over 'emotional' women claims https://t.co/speWoRYTDq — Extra.ie Sport (@ExtraSportIre) April 13, 2022
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