Former Norwich City sporting director Stuart Webber has reportedly sparked anger among Raheem Sterling and several other black players following comments he made in an interview with a local newspaper.
Webber, who left the Canary Islands in November, said rosaun that Sterling, Max Aarons and three other black players would be in jail if it weren’t for football.
The comments came in an article in which Webber discussed his pending attempt to climb Mount Everest for charity next month.
Webber said: “We want to help the guys who really need it, not the guys who maybe are privileged.” I saw it with our young footballers.
“Jonny Rowe wouldn’t mind me saying it, but him, Abu Kamara, Max (Aarons), Jamal (Lewis), Raheem (Sterling) in their time at Liverpool, where they come from, it had to work for them in football. , because the alternative is potentially jail or something else.’
Raheem Sterling is among the players who angered former Norwich City boss Stuart Webber
Webber, 39, who served as Norwich’s sporting director from 2017 to 2023, said Sterling is one of five black players who could have ended up in prison if it had not worked out for them in football.
One of the other players Webber referred to was former Norwich right-back Max Aarons.
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Following the shocking comments in the interview, which came out on Saturday and is still available online at the time of writing, mirror reported that all the players and their families were left furious, shocked and deeply offended.
One of the players is said to have asked Webber for explanations after contacting him directly.
Webber is believed to understand he made a serious mistake with the comments and apologized after speaking to some of the players and their families.
However, the Mirror also claim that they have not yet spoken to Sterling or any member of the Chelsea striker’s family.
Webber was Liverpool’s recruitment director from 2009 to 2012, and Sterling joined Liverpool at the age of 15 in 2010.
Webber subsequently held positions as head of scouting at QPR and Wolves, before becoming sporting director at Huddersfield Town between 2015 and 2017.
The 39-year-old then moved to Norwich, where he spent six years in the role until his departure in November.
The other four players Webber mentioned are in connection with his days at Norwich, with right-back Aarons moving to Bournemouth for £7m in August after being promoted at Carrow Road.
Meanwhile, Lewis broke into the Norwich squad at a similar time before leaving to join Newcastle in 2020, with the left-back currently on loan at Watford.
Rowe, 20, is a winger and one of Norwich’s star players, while Kamara spends the season on loan at Portsmouth after joining the Carrow Road club’s academy at the age of 10.
Local outlet PinkUn is also reportedly under fire, and questions have been raised about how Webber’s comments were not challenged in the interview.
In response, Troy Townsend, head of player development at Kick It Out, an anti-racism charity, said: “Racially profiling current and former players.” So football or jail? Absolute shame!’
There was also furious public reaction from players’ relatives, with Aarons’ mother Amber accusing Webber of “casual racism”.
She posted on X: ‘I am shocked by Stuart Webber’s casual racism and blatant disrespect towards all these black players and their families. As the mother of @maxaarons2 and good friends with @jamal_lewis1’s mother, I know there is no chance any of those children would have been in jail by now.’
Lewis’ mother Catrina also said: ‘That’s not true at all… Very unprofessional comment!!! How can you make that assumption Stuart?’, before Aarons’ mother responded : ‘Inherent racism, I can’t think of more professional and level-headed people than the players SW has tagged.’
The times reported how Amber used to juggle her business job and take Aarons to training and matches during their academy days, while Aarons’ father Mike hired a skills coach during which it cost him £70 time to help the right back’s career.
Aarons was also originally in Luton’s youth system but left to better balance football with his studies by undertaking his GCSEs.
Meanwhile, Lewis’s mother Catrina worked on community projects in Belfast and also used to coach her son in athletics during his youth.
Lewis, who has won 34 caps for Northern Ireland, also founded his own mental health charity and campaigned against racism, while also joining a campaign to stop online hate alongside figures such as Gareth Bale, Rio Ferdinand and Marcus. Rashford three years ago.
Webber’s comments also sparked outrage from a number of Norwich fans, as the comments were labeled “disgraceful”, “horrendous” and “disgraceful”, while others urged him to “apologize for his atrocious racism”.
Webber also mentioned that Norwich star Jonathan Rowe could end up in jail.
The players, who also included Jamal Lewis (left, number 6) and Abu Kamara (right, number 25), were reported to have been left upset, shocked and furious by Webber’s comments to local outlet PinkUn.
Aarons and Lewis’ mothers attack Webber, accused of ‘casual racism’
Webber’s take on the five players comes after he also made controversial comments about women’s football last year.
Speaking in May, the 39-year-old openly admitted not watching women’s football, despite investing in that side of the sport with the club, whose team plays in Division One South East of the FA Women’s National League.
“I don’t see women’s football,” he said. The Athletic. “It has no interest for me in terms of television because I watch enough men’s football and if I don’t watch that, I want to watch other sports.”
“It’s a choice that I think should be fine.”
Norwich Women played their first match at Carrow Road in April, attracting 7,585 fans when they took on Ashford Town.
Webber then added: “That was the first women’s game I went to because I’m not interested.” I don’t mind admitting it.