City
Epaper

"Lesbian mafia" not behind Australia coach Stajcic's sacking as per review

By IANS | Updated: December 19, 2019 14:10 IST

An independent review has dismissed the notion that a "lesbian mafia" was behind the controversial dismissal of Australia national women's football team coach Alen Stajcic.

Open in App

Stajcic was sacked in January this year, just five months before the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, and after the Matildas had risen to fourth in the world rankings and claimed the 2017 Tournament of Nation's trophy, Xinhua news agency reports.

Although rumors and reports at the time had suggested a toxic "culture of fear and unacceptable levels of stress among the players," there were also accusations that the push to oust Stajcic was led by a group of players and staff referred to as the "lesbian mafia".

But in an independent Review of Football Federation Australia (FFA) National Teams' Management on Thursday, an expert panel of three found these claims to be unsubstantiated.

"The Panel was unable to uncover any evidence supporting the existence of any formal 'lesbian mafia' or that the decision to terminate the Matildas head coach contract was driven by personal bias against Stajcic or in pursuit of other agendas," the report said.

"Traditional media articles and social media ventilated the notion extensively and the panel has not been able to find evidence that the FFA took any proportionate action to address the issue nor protect the individuals who were the target of this speculation."

Offering recommendations on how to improve the running of Australia's mens' and womens' national football teams, the report determined there must be better "feedback mechanisms" to deal with player complaints.

( With inputs from IANS )

Open in App

Related Stories

EntertainmentJulia Fox opens up about Scarlett Johansson being considered for 'Uncut Gems' role

EntertainmentKevin Spacey says he won't collaborate with those in Hollywood, who were quick to judge him

InternationalOperation Sindhu: Special evacuation flight from Armenia lands in India carrying 173 Indian nationals from Iran

Cricket"Australia had ruined our...": Rohit Sharma on iconic T20 WC 2024 win against 50-over champions

EntertainmentAlia Bhatt recreates Rekha's timeless saree look from Silsila at Umrao Jaan screening

फुटबॉल Realted Stories

FootballCristiano Ronaldo renews Al Nassr deal till 2027

FootballDual Threat: A look at top five goal contributors in ISL history

FootballOwen Coyle: The mastermind behind ISL's most dramatic turnarounds

FootballLionel Messi fans in Kolkata celebrate the Argentine maestro's 38th birthday

FootballJamshedpur FC building legacy through homegrown Indian talent