Association demands:

Every 4th coach in England should be non-white

Darren Moore coaches Port Vale in the fourth division.(Bild: AFP/APA/Paul ELLIS)

England's Football Association (FA) wants to employ more coaches who are not white in future. According to a strategy paper, by 2028 at least 25 percent, and preferably 30 percent, of coaches from U17 to professional level should have a different ethnic background, such as being black or Asian.

The current figure is 19 percent. In the women's teams, 15 percent of the coaching staff should have a skin color other than white instead of the current four. 60 percent should be women.

"Combating discrimination is one of our core objectives," said FA boss Mark Bullingham. The aim is to make positive and lasting changes. At the start of the season, the FA introduced a requirement for professional clubs in the English leagues to report on the diversity of their staff.

Criticism from the association
The reform was also triggered by criticism from the Black Footballers Partnership. Following the departure of national team coach Gareth Southgate, it emphasized that no local talent with a diverse background would be considered as a replacement. In the previous season, 43 percent of Premier League players were black. However, this was not reflected in coaching positions.