Share

Will Frank Lampard sing the blues?

accreditation
BIG BREAK Chelsea legend Frank Lampard has landed his first coaching job at his former club, while former black players like Sol Campbell have had to start at the bottom of the ladder. Picture: BRAIN Lawless/ PA images
BIG BREAK Chelsea legend Frank Lampard has landed his first coaching job at his former club, while former black players like Sol Campbell have had to start at the bottom of the ladder. Picture: BRAIN Lawless/ PA images

When Chelsea decided to part ways with Maurizio Sarri, they turned to club legend Frank Lampard and announced early this month that the club’s top scorer would take over from the Italian.

At the time, Lampard said he was proud to return to Chelsea as head coach: “Everyone knows my love for this club and the history we have shared. However, my sole focus is on the job at hand and preparing for the season ahead.

“I am here to work hard and bring further success to the club. I cannot wait to get started.”

Lampard, however, received a rude awakening when – fewer than two weeks after being appointed – some fans were already calling for him to be replaced after a 1-1 draw in their first preseason friendly against Irish club Bohemians.

Forward Pedro praised the first days of training with the new coach, saying this week: “It’s very good to work under Frank. He’s a legend at this club. He’s a very good coach with very good ideas, but it’s only been five days working with him and, for the future, we have to prepare very well this month.

“We’ve been training really hard with Frank this week. It’s very hard work, high intensity. We’re pressing a lot without the ball, when we’ve got the ball we have to move it quickly, and in transition [we have to be] very good.”

Lampard’s appointment to the top job at Chelsea raised some eyebrows as, although his credentials as a player are beyond question – 611 Premier League matches, 176 Premier League goals, more than 100 England caps – his CV has less to offer when it comes to coaching experience.

After ending his career at New York City FC in February 2017, he was appointed Derby County coach at the start of last season. He took the Rams to a sixth-place finish in the Championship and into the play-offs for the Premier League, where they lost in the final against Aston Villa.

Lampard was thus given the task of coaching one of the biggest English clubs despite having coaching experience of just one season.

Solent University student Peter Akinmosa believes that Lampard got his position due to what academics have described as “the old boys’ clubs”.

Akinmosa, who wrote a dissertation about the opportunities that black, Asian and other minority ethnic coaches have in England, said football clubs were generally unlikely to hire people from different backgrounds.

“White chairpeople appoint white, male managers. The cycle is not easily broken. A classic example is Sol Campbell. Like Lampard, he is a legend in England. More than 500 appearances in the Premier League and more than 70 caps for England, yet his first break in coaching comes from the bottom club in the second division, Macclesfield. In other words, he started at the lowest club in the League,” said Akinmosa.

Campbell, who took over the club in November, managed to keep them in the league, but has not been linked with any of the vacant positions, like Newcastle, for instance.

“So I can see a distinct difference here. Players like Lampard and also Steven Gerard [who coaches Rangers] start their coaching careers at a high level and then – in Lampard’s case – get a chance to move even higher after just one season, while Campbell and other black, Asian and minority coaches have it much tougher.

“Campbell is the only one of the three with the Uefa Pro licence, yet he has the most difficult start to his coaching career.”

Campbell, who years ago described the lack of coaches of colour as a “sad indictment” of the game, said that he had struggled to get his first job.

“I must have applied for 12 to 15 jobs. I’ve been up and down on trains, planes – I should be an ambassador for British Airways with all the miles I have clocked up. Some guys have probably got better networks – who knows – but, for me, it was all about getting on that ladder, on that treadmill, and getting going.”

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you believe that the various planned marches against load shedding will prompt government to bring solutions and resolve the power crisis?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes
20% - 103 votes
No
80% - 403 votes
Vote