Football
Ben Gladwell, Italy correspondent 10y

Clarence Seedorf laments lack of black coaches

#INSERT type:image caption:Clarence Seedorf believes it is "sad" that there are so few black coaches in the game. END#

Clarence Seedorf believes it is "sad" that there are so few black coaches in the game.

Speaking at UEFA's Respect Diversity Conference in Rome, the former AC Milan coach, who was dismissed this summer after only four months in charge of the Rossoneri, said he feels that skin colour is covertly considered when looking for new coaches, which is why many former players do not even try their hand at coaching.

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"It's sad to see so few black coaches," he said, reports La Gazzetta dello Sport. "Of all the black former players, how many of them have gone on to become a coach? It's true that we should not be looking at the colour of somebody's skin, but this does also come into it."

Seedorf bucked that trend by accepting a call from Milan last January. He ended his playing career with Botafogo and, the following day, arrived back in Italy from Brazil to try to salvage the Rossoneri's season.

While he succeeded to a certain extent, problems inside the dressing room led to him being relieved of his duties and replaced by Filippo Inzaghi, although he is still contracted to the Serie A club for another two years and cannot therefore accept another job without reaching a settlement with Milan.

When he does return to the game, he hopes to find more tolerance and respect, not only for race but also for the opponents. An obligation to everybody to shake hands at the end of every game is something he would like to see reintroduced.

"Fiorentina started doing it, but then I don't know why it never continued," he said. "I think it should be obligatory like in rugby because it also changes many psychological approaches. With a different procedure, we would ensure everybody accepts defeats. You would have to be there for three minutes and shake hands with your opponents because the game is over.

"It would be an evolution of culture and football and it would be an education to those who watch us."

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