Lack of diversity undermines Lionesses' success as England go without BAME stars
dailystar.co.ukEngland.Unless Sarina Wiegman breaks with tradition, the host nation will start their Euro 2022 semi final at Bramall Lane without a single black star in the team.
To some people, it appears to come across as churlish to even raise this fact, let alone have the temerity to question it.But just imagine if Gareth Southgate led England to the semi finals of a major tournament and hadn't started a single game with a BAME player in his side?
All hell would break loose. Southgate would stand accused of being racist and the outpouring of criticism would probably lead to him losing his job.READ MORE: 7 times footballers lost their head on the bench as Misa Rodriguez kicks water coolerSo why is it acceptable for this to happen in the Lionesses camp?
The women's game is desperate to grow its brand and generate the same levels of commercial and public interest that the men's game benefits from.And the current achievements of Wiegman's side in front of packed stadiums on home soil will no doubt taken women's football into a new era of opportunities.But if those who run and participate in women's football want some sort of parity with the men's game, they should also be prepared to face the same levels of scrutiny and introspection when it comes to being challenged on issues such as the blatant lack of diversity at the highest level of it.It might be a simple case of Wiegman, who has just three black or mixed heritage stars in her squad, believing her best starting XI just happens to be those players with white skin and blonde hair.
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