Chelsea legend Ruud Gullit has claimed that white coaches like Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Gary Neville & Frank Lampard get preferential treatment.
Gullit frustrated by lack of opportunities for black coachesSays they should at least be given interviewsPoints out the likes of Rooney & Gerrard haven’t been successful
Gullit enjoyed an illustrious playing career that saw him play for top clubs such as AC Milan and Chelsea, with 66 caps also acquired at international level for the Netherlands. He moved into coaching after hanging up his boots and guided Chelsea to the 1996-97 FA Cup, before going on to take in spells at Newcastle, Feyenoord and the LA Galaxy in MLS. Very few black managers have enjoyed the same kind of success at the highest level, though, especially not in England, with Gullit frustrated to see so many promising coaches overlooked when interviews are arranged.
Manchester United legend Gary Neville took in a spell in charge of La Liga giants Valencia after hanging up his boots, and his old team-mate Wayne Rooney has also had his fair share of coaching opportunities, having been in the dugout at Derby County and D.C. United before his recent switch to Birmingham City. Meanwhile, former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, who began his managerial career at Rangers before an ill-fated stint at Aston Villa, is currently at the helm of Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ettifaq, and his old Chelsea rival Frank Lampard was recently interviewed for the top job at MLS outfit Charlotte.
None of those white English coaches have been able to prove themselves as elite managers yet, and Gullit thinks it’s unfair that their black counterparts are not even being considered for the same high-profile roles. The 1987 Ballon d’Or winner has told Gambling Zone: “Look at Gary Neville! He didn’t do anything, but he got the chance. Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard didn’t succeed either, but they got the chance. Black managers need to be given the chance. I read that Frank Lampard was reported for a job in America! We want those opportunities for everyone. Not every manager succeeds, but that doesn’t mean that they’re not good managers. Sometimes you just need the right break. I’m wondering why those coaches, who didn’t do well, get the chances. Ultimately I think we’ve seen managers such as Rooney, Neville, Lampard and Gerrard have been given more than one chance, yet black managers if they don’t succeed at the first attempt, the doors are closed. I can’t understand why this is.”
Gullit added: “I don’t know the ins and outs, so I couldn’t say that England are behind. I know about the frustration of certain black coaches, though. The only thing we ask is to get interviewed – nothing else.”
Gullit also suggested that the Premier League should try to follow the same diversity model that has been successful in the NFL. In 2003, American football adopted the ‘Rooney Rule’ – named after then-chairman of the committee Dan Rooney – which requires every team advertising for a new head coach to interview at least one diverse candidate before making a new hire. “In America, it’s mandatory to integrate diversity into sport, and look at it now,” Gullit said. “There were no black quarterbacks for the longest time because people say they couldn’t do it, but those people were wrong. There are also black coaches. It’s about giving people a fair chance. There are so many black players in the Premier League! We can participate in the sport, but we can’t decide. It needs to change. So many teams have several black players, and I have a hard time believing none of them have managerial ambitions. Just give them a chance – they have the ambition. Of course, not everybody will succeed, but let’s not point fingers at that.”
Gullit is one of just 11 black managers to have coached in the Premier League. Vincent Kompany joined that list after masterminding Burnley’s promotion from the Championship in 2022-23, but there is still an alarming lack of opportunities for black coaches in the English game. “I hope it does change,” Gullit concluded. “It’s a matter of giving people a chance in an interview. Talk to these managers and see what they have in their minds. You never know. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but that’s the case with a lot of people.”
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