Milan legend Clarence Seedorf insists football is struggling to create equal coaching opportunities for black managers… and urges more must be done to tackle the issue

Clarence Seedorf insists that football has a problem when it comes to equal opportunities for black managers and has called for more action to be taken.

‘Unfortunately, there is a gap of opportunity for black coaches. It’s still an issue,’ Seedorf told Mail Sport. ‘I’ve not been working (as a coach since 2019) but I have not had many more offers. How is that for someone with my career? 

‘I’m not saying that a good playing career brings good clubs necessarily, but the lack of opportunity is an issue. It’s not just me. Look at the likes of Thierry Henry, Sol Campbell, Edgar Davids, Patrick Kluivert and so on.

‘We are talking about legends that have their coaching licenses and that want to coach. This is everybody’s game and we want to see equality in football just like we want to see equality in society,’ the 48-year-old added.

The Dutchman is the only player to have won the Champions League with three different clubs and took the AC Milan job in 2014 after retiring but was sacked after four months by his former club. He hasn’t had a coaching role since 2019 when he managed Cameroon.

AC Milan icon Clarence Seedorf believes that football is struggling to provide equal coaching opportunities for black managers

The Netherlands legend had an illustrious career, playing for top clubs such as Milan, Inter, and Real Madrid and would go on to later manage the Rossoneri

A Black Footballers Partnership (BFP) report in 2022 found that while 43 per cent of players in the Premier League are black, less than five per cent of professional football coaches in the top four divisions are black. 

‘Further research commissioned by the BFP earlier this year found that non-black players were 50 per cent more likely to get into management than black players over a 30-year period. 

‘That report specified that a black manager is 41 per cent more likely to be fired than a white manager – when factors such as performance are equal.

‘I wish journalists would dig more into why there is such a difference between the amount of black players and coaches,’ Seedorf said. ‘Racism is not an opinion. We now have signs of what it means and how it works. 

‘Unfortunately, this is a battle that we all need to win. There is some movement through FIFA and UEFA with these issues. Equal opportunity is what it’s all about,’ he added.

Seedorf claims the likes of Sol Campbell (left) and Patrick Kluivert (right) have had a lack of opportunities in management

Former Arsenal team-mates Patrick Vieira (left) and Thierry Henry (right) have also gone into coaching

Seedorf has urged that more must be done to tackle the issue of unequal coaching opportunities for black managers

Seedorf took further jobs with Shenzhen FC in China in 2016 and Deportivo La Coruna in Spain in 2018 but none of his jobs lasted more than a year. 

Since getting sacked by Cameroon five years ago, he has primarily worked in media and will be a part of Prime Video’s Champions League coverage this season.

‘It’s a privilege to continue to be close to the pitch and to be able to still follow both young and established talents is a great feeling,’ he said. 

‘But we need to create awareness and put more pressure on the people making these decisions to make sure there is more equality in the game.’

Clarence Seedorf was speaking to Mail Sport courtesy of bet365, as part of their global partnership with the UEFA Champions League

The former AC Milan midfielder had not held a coaching role since 2019 but states that it is a ‘privilege to continue to be close to the pitch’