North Ireland: Kenny Shiels apologizes for his remark that “women are more emotional than men”

Kenny Shiels, the Northern Ireland manager, has apologized for claiming “women are more emotional than males” after his team’s 5-0 defeat against England.

Former England players Siobhan Chamberlain and Ian Wright slammed Shiels’ comments.

On Wednesday, he apologized for the “offence” he had caused.

“I am a strong supporter of the women’s game and am committed to expanding possibilities for women and girls to succeed,” he stated.

Shiels’ team lost 5-0 to England in the second half, preventing them from qualifying for next year’s Women’s World Cup.

“I felt [England] were struggling a little bit at times to open us up until the psychology of going 2-0 up in the women’s game,” he said at a post-match news conference.

“If you look at the patterns, you’ll discover that when a team concedes a goal, they concede another one in a very, very short period of time.” Because girls and women are more emotional than men, it occurs across the entire range of the women’s game. So they take a goal that doesn’t go in very good.”

At Windsor Park in Belfast, a crowd of 15,348 watched the match, which set a new record for a women’s match in the country.

“I’d like to apologize for my remarks from last night’s post-match news conference,” Shiels stated.

‘Last night was a historic occasion for the women’s game in Northern Ireland, and I am happy to be in charge of a group of players who serve as role models for so many young girls and boys across the country.'”

Shiels had to accept responsibility for “understanding the value that words may possess,” according to former England goalkeeper Chamberlain, who played 50 times for the national team.

“I think we all know that five minutes after you concede a goal – not just in women’s football, but in men’s football as well – you’re more likely to concede a goal,” Chamberlain told BBC Radio 5 Live before Shiels’ apology.

“It’s a strange comment to generalize it to all women”.

“It’s vital to talk sensibly and be aware of the message that your words can carry while giving post-match news conferences when you’re feeling emotional after a huge game.”

Shiels was “talking rubbish,” according to Wright.

Shiels’ comments were “extremely harmful,” according to Yvonne Harrison, CEO of Women in Football.

“To be quite honest with you, hearing a male talk about women being too sensitive in this day and age made me feel like I’d gone back 30 years,” Harrison told a foreign news agency.

“It’s a problem that women have had to deal with for decades, not just in sports.”

“However, his team had just been crushed 5-0 by a very strong Lionesses team, and that’s not easy to take, especially when you have all the media on you.”

Shiels, 65, was named manager of the senior women’s squad in May 2019, after previously leading the men’s teams of Kilmarnock and Derry City.

He managed Northern Ireland’s victorious Euro 2022 play-off campaign, which saw the country qualify for a major women’s tournament for the first time.

Shiels called his team’s qualification “the greatest sporting feat in the United Kingdom.”

England took the lead in the 26th minute, but it took until the 52nd minute to add a second goal.

“When we were down 1-0, we tried to slow the game down to allow them time to process their emotional imbalance. That is a problem we have “, Shiels continued in his press conference on Tuesday.

“Not only in Northern Ireland, but in every country on the planet.”