Daily Times

LONDON: The English Football Association (FA) has reached a settlement with former women’s national soccer team manager Mark Sampson. The FA sacked Sampson in September 2017 as a consequence of “inappropriate and unacceptable behaviour” in a previous position, and the 36-year-old brought a case of unfair dismissal against the governing body that was due to be heard this week. “We can confirm that a confidential settlement has been entered into between the FA and Mark Sampson to bring the dispute around the termination of his employment to an agreed close,” the FA said in a statement. “We will not be commenting further on the matter.” Sampson, who took the England job in December 2013, was sacked one day after the team beat Russia 6-0 in a World Cup qualifier. At the time of his dismissal, the FA said it had been made aware of a full report of an investigation into allegations of safeguarding made against Sampson in 2014, relating to his time at top-flight side Bristol Academy. The safeguarding assessment was that Sampson did not pose a risk working in the game, but the FA judged the full report of the investigation to have revealed “clear evidence of inappropriate and unacceptable behaviour by a coach”. Before his contract was terminated, Sampson was investigated and subsequently cleared after being accused of discrimination and bullying by two England players, Eniola Aluko and Drew Spence. Former Manchester United defender Phil Neville replaced Sampson as England women’s head coach in January last year.

Published in Daily Times, January 11^th 2019.