Nigerian English striker Eniola Aluko has been in the news since she revealed she was racially bullied by England head coach Mark Sampson.
Aluko alleged that England women’s national team manager Mark Sampson told her to make sure her Nigerian relatives did not bring the Ebola virus to a game at Wembley.
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This is not the first time the 30-year-old has reported cases of racial discrimination against her.
Eniola Aluko last year made a series of allegations to the Football Association in a complaint about the behavior of Sampson, who was subsequently cleared of racial discrimination, bullying, and harassment.
Mr. Sampson was cleared following an independent inquiry commissioned by the governing body.
Baring it all on BBC, Eniola Aluko said that she was dropped by England just days after she reported Sampson of discrimination despite her being the top goalscorer in last season’s Women’s Super League.
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This was her first broadcast interview since details of the controversy emerged earlier this month. But according to the FA, her allegation arose in informal correspondence and was not included in her complaint.
More so Samson’s vehement denial of the allegations shattered further investigations into the matter. The FA also said that two investigations into her grievances were “flawed” because key witnesses were not spoken to and key evidence was not looked at.
After the incidence, the Football body reportedly gave the Chelsea Ladies striker £80,000 to avoid the threat of an employment tribunal which may disrupt the squad’s preparation for the Euro 2017. The offer was an attempt to avoid disclosure and not to keep Aluko from discussing the facts of the case.
However, Aluko debunked the reports saying she accepted the money as it equated to what she would have expected to receive had she successfully argued her case at an employment tribunal.
She denied that the payment was to stop her speaking out, explaining: “I did not settle to avoid disruption to the European Championships, I settled on the basis of what I felt I would have achieved at a tribunal.”
Following the recent revelation, anti-racism campaign group ‘Kick It Out’ called on the FA to undertake a comprehensive and independent review of the processes involved in the original complaint made by Aluko.
According to the body, the situation was now “one of utter confusion with claims and counter-claims”.
Getting to the root of the problem the group said, was important so that they (Kick It Out) can take on board any lessons learned, to remedy any deficiencies identified. Kick It Out standards remain that all individuals, whatever their background, be treated equally, fairly and with dignity and respect.
They urged the FA to see to the closure of the matter in order to build trust, confidence, and credibility.
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