Women's coach sorry for sexist comments

By:China Daily
update:April 15,2022

In this file photo taken on October 23, 2021 Northern Ireland's head coach Kenny Shiels gestures from the touchline during the 2023 Women's World Cup Group D qualification football match between England and Northern Ireland at Wembley Stadium in London. [Photo/Agencies]

The coach of Northern Ireland's women's team apologized Wednesday for saying girls and women are susceptible to conceding multiple goals in a short space of time because they are "more emotional than men".

Kenny Shiels provoked criticism for the remarks he made after his team's 5-0 loss to England on Tuesday which ended Northern Ireland's chances of qualifying for next year's Women's World Cup.

"In the women's game, you'll have noticed, I'm sure you will if you go through the patterns," the 65-year-old Shiels said in the post-match news conference, "when a team concedes a goal, they concede a second one within a very short period of time.

"Right through the whole spectrum of the women's game, because girls and women are more emotional than men. So, they take a goal going in, they don't take that very well."

In a statement released Wednesday, Shiels said he was "sorry for the offense that (the comments) have caused".