- The Code was introduced in 2020 to “drive diversity and inclusion” in the game.
- Several candidates are said to have already been identified in the process.
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The Football Association (FA) is set to interview a number of managers who meet its employment criteria as part of the process to appoint a new England manager.
English football’s governing body, led by Mark Buckingham, is on the hunt for its first new men’s team manager since 2016 after Gareth Southgate revealed he would be stepping down as coach this week.
The 53-year-old’s departure came after another defeat in the Euro final, and the FA have pledged to take as much time as necessary to find a successor with an interim option if necessary.
The recruitment process, according to News from heavenwill involve finding a manager through interviews with various coaches, with several candidates already identified.
It is the first time a male coach will be appointed since the Football Leadership Diversity Code was introduced in 2020.
The FA is set to interview a number of managers who meet the criteria for the post in its search for a new England manager.
FA chief Mark Buckingham is looking for the first male manager since the introduction of the Football Leadership Diversity Code
The Code was put in place to “drive diversity and inclusion” across the game in order to increase equality of opportunity.
Men’s clubs were set a target of ensuring 10 per cent of new senior coaches hired were black, Asian or of mixed heritage.
The FA’s diversity code says: ‘Recruitment will be based on merit, to find the best person for the job from a diverse pool of talent and the aim is to move away from recruitment practices focused on personal networks, which is a long-standing challenge in football and has limited diversity in leadership across the game.’
According to the report, a specific job advert will not be published but the FA is keen to appoint a manager who can handle the intense public interest and scrutiny with experience in a high-profile job.
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, who is black and was part of Southgate’s coaching staff at the time of his departure, said of his experiences as a football manager: “I’ve applied for a lot of jobs and most of them I didn’t get an interview. Why? I don’t know. I can only tell you that I didn’t get an interview and I only want to get a job because they think I’m the right person for the job.
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (centre), who trained under Southgate, has previously spoken about his experiences as a coach.
“And I know a lot of black ex-players don’t want to go and collect their coaching credentials because they feel like we don’t get a fair chance.”
Last season there were two black managers in the Premier League, while England has never had a black manager.