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Image via Arsenal FC Arsenal Women have released a statement acknowledging the team’s lack of diversity and efforts to change that following criticism of the club’s 2023/24 squad photo.Arsenal’s first-team is decidedly white, without any ethnic minority players in the entire 27-woman squad. When the club shared their official team photo for the season, this was made glaringly obvious, and Arsenal found themselves on the receiving end of criticism via multiple social media platforms.In the statement, the club said: “We acknowledge our current women’s first-team squad does not reflect the diversity that exists across the club and the communities we represent. Increasing participation among young women and girls from diverse backgrounds is a key priority for us at academy level, with specific measures in place to improve pathways and accessibility.“It’s a priority for the club to continue to drive greater diversity and inclusion and create a sense of belonging for everyone connected to the club.” The current women’s squad has been compared to the men’s, which boasts a roster of talented players from various ethnic backgrounds such as Bukayo Saka, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Gabriel Jesus. Whilst the men’s team has continued its inclusion of Black players since the early 2000s, it’s safe to say that the women’s side has changed drastically since the days of Rachel Yankey, Alex Scott and Anita Asante.The current state of the women’s team reflects a bigger issue in European women’s football. Though the men’s game is incredibly diverse, with ethnic minority players from around the world plying their trade in Europe’s biggest leagues, that diversity hasn’t translated to the women’s game. Not a single non-white player was selected in the Starting XI during the Lionesses’ Euros 2022 win, while only two Black or mixed heritage players were part of the this summer’s Women’s World Cup squad. And while 34% of Premier League players are from ethnically diverse backgrounds, in the professional women’s game that number drops to just 9.7%.Despite the fact that there are many talented young girls growing up and playing football in the same neighbourhoods that gave us the likes of Eddie Nketiah and Marcus Rashford, those girls aren’t given the same access and opportunities to join academies and reach the top-flight in a similar manner – something Spotify have sought to rectify this past year with several initiatives, one of which was ‘The Equaliser’; a new film closely examining the role of racial inequality in women’s football. Arsenal is the least diverse team in the WSL, with other clubs hosting numbers of ethnic minority players, both homegrown and from overseas. Diversity – and the lack thereof – is an issue that women’s football must continue to tackle at every level, and for a major club to be held accountable is a step in the right direction.
Arsenal Women Acknowledge Lack of Diversity After Squad Photo Criticism
English women's football has a major diversity problem.
Arsenal Women Acknowledge Lack of Diversity After Squad Photo Criticism
English women's football has a major diversity problem.
Image via Arsenal FC Arsenal Women have released a statement acknowledging the team’s lack of diversity and efforts to change that following criticism of the club’s 2023/24 squad photo.Arsenal’s first-team is decidedly white, without any ethnic minority players in the entire 27-woman squad. When the club shared their official team photo for the season, this was made glaringly obvious, and Arsenal found themselves on the receiving end of criticism via multiple social media platforms.In the statement, the club said: “We acknowledge our current women’s first-team squad does not reflect the diversity that exists across the club and the communities we represent. Increasing participation among young women and girls from diverse backgrounds is a key priority for us at academy level, with specific measures in place to improve pathways and accessibility.“It’s a priority for the club to continue to drive greater diversity and inclusion and create a sense of belonging for everyone connected to the club.” The current women’s squad has been compared to the men’s, which boasts a roster of talented players from various ethnic backgrounds such as Bukayo Saka, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Gabriel Jesus. Whilst the men’s team has continued its inclusion of Black players since the early 2000s, it’s safe to say that the women’s side has changed drastically since the days of Rachel Yankey, Alex Scott and Anita Asante.The current state of the women’s team reflects a bigger issue in European women’s football. Though the men’s game is incredibly diverse, with ethnic minority players from around the world plying their trade in Europe’s biggest leagues, that diversity hasn’t translated to the women’s game. Not a single non-white player was selected in the Starting XI during the Lionesses’ Euros 2022 win, while only two Black or mixed heritage players were part of the this summer’s Women’s World Cup squad. And while 34% of Premier League players are from ethnically diverse backgrounds, in the professional women’s game that number drops to just 9.7%.Despite the fact that there are many talented young girls growing up and playing football in the same neighbourhoods that gave us the likes of Eddie Nketiah and Marcus Rashford, those girls aren’t given the same access and opportunities to join academies and reach the top-flight in a similar manner – something Spotify have sought to rectify this past year with several initiatives, one of which was ‘The Equaliser’; a new film closely examining the role of racial inequality in women’s football. Arsenal is the least diverse team in the WSL, with other clubs hosting numbers of ethnic minority players, both homegrown and from overseas. Diversity – and the lack thereof – is an issue that women’s football must continue to tackle at every level, and for a major club to be held accountable is a step in the right direction.
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Arsenal Women Acknowledge Lack of Diversity After Squad Photo Criticism
English women's football has a major diversity problem.
Image via Arsenal FC Arsenal Women have released a statement acknowledging the team’s lack of diversity and efforts to change that following criticism of the club’s 2023/24 squad photo.Arsenal’s first-team is decidedly white, without any ethnic minority players in the entire 27-woman squad. When the club shared their official team photo for the season, this was made glaringly obvious, and Arsenal found themselves on the receiving end of criticism via multiple social media platforms.In the statement, the club said: “We acknowledge our current women’s first-team squad does not reflect the diversity that exists across the club and the communities we represent. Increasing participation among young women and girls from diverse backgrounds is a key priority for us at academy level, with specific measures in place to improve pathways and accessibility.“It’s a priority for the club to continue to drive greater diversity and inclusion and create a sense of belonging for everyone connected to the club.” The current women’s squad has been compared to the men’s, which boasts a roster of talented players from various ethnic backgrounds such as Bukayo Saka, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Gabriel Jesus. Whilst the men’s team has continued its inclusion of Black players since the early 2000s, it’s safe to say that the women’s side has changed drastically since the days of Rachel Yankey, Alex Scott and Anita Asante.The current state of the women’s team reflects a bigger issue in European women’s football. Though the men’s game is incredibly diverse, with ethnic minority players from around the world plying their trade in Europe’s biggest leagues, that diversity hasn’t translated to the women’s game. Not a single non-white player was selected in the Starting XI during the Lionesses’ Euros 2022 win, while only two Black or mixed heritage players were part of the this summer’s Women’s World Cup squad. And while 34% of Premier League players are from ethnically diverse backgrounds, in the professional women’s game that number drops to just 9.7%.Despite the fact that there are many talented young girls growing up and playing football in the same neighbourhoods that gave us the likes of Eddie Nketiah and Marcus Rashford, those girls aren’t given the same access and opportunities to join academies and reach the top-flight in a similar manner – something Spotify have sought to rectify this past year with several initiatives, one of which was ‘The Equaliser’; a new film closely examining the role of racial inequality in women’s football. Arsenal is the least diverse team in the WSL, with other clubs hosting numbers of ethnic minority players, both homegrown and from overseas. Diversity – and the lack thereof – is an issue that women’s football must continue to tackle at every level, and for a major club to be held accountable is a step in the right direction.
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Arsenal Women Acknowledge Lack of Diversity After Squad Photo Criticism
English women's football has a major diversity problem.
Image via Arsenal FC Arsenal Women have released a statement acknowledging the team’s lack of diversity and efforts to change that following criticism of the club’s 2023/24 squad photo.Arsenal’s first-team is decidedly white, without any ethnic minority players in the entire 27-woman squad. When the club shared their official team photo for the season, this was made glaringly obvious, and Arsenal found themselves on the receiving end of criticism via multiple social media platforms.In the statement, the club said: “We acknowledge our current women’s first-team squad does not reflect the diversity that exists across the club and the communities we represent. Increasing participation among young women and girls from diverse backgrounds is a key priority for us at academy level, with specific measures in place to improve pathways and accessibility.“It’s a priority for the club to continue to drive greater diversity and inclusion and create a sense of belonging for everyone connected to the club.” The current women’s squad has been compared to the men’s, which boasts a roster of talented players from various ethnic backgrounds such as Bukayo Saka, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Gabriel Jesus. Whilst the men’s team has continued its inclusion of Black players since the early 2000s, it’s safe to say that the women’s side has changed drastically since the days of Rachel Yankey, Alex Scott and Anita Asante.The current state of the women’s team reflects a bigger issue in European women’s football. Though the men’s game is incredibly diverse, with ethnic minority players from around the world plying their trade in Europe’s biggest leagues, that diversity hasn’t translated to the women’s game. Not a single non-white player was selected in the Starting XI during the Lionesses’ Euros 2022 win, while only two Black or mixed heritage players were part of the this summer’s Women’s World Cup squad. And while 34% of Premier League players are from ethnically diverse backgrounds, in the professional women’s game that number drops to just 9.7%.Despite the fact that there are many talented young girls growing up and playing football in the same neighbourhoods that gave us the likes of Eddie Nketiah and Marcus Rashford, those girls aren’t given the same access and opportunities to join academies and reach the top-flight in a similar manner – something Spotify have sought to rectify this past year with several initiatives, one of which was ‘The Equaliser’; a new film closely examining the role of racial inequality in women’s football. Arsenal is the least diverse team in the WSL, with other clubs hosting numbers of ethnic minority players, both homegrown and from overseas. Diversity – and the lack thereof – is an issue that women’s football must continue to tackle at every level, and for a major club to be held accountable is a step in the right direction.
