Mark Sampson has been sacked as head coach of England's women's football team "after a new witness came forward with allegations of inappropriate behaviour separate to
Eni Aluko's claims of bullying and discrimination," according to Martyn Ziegler of the LONDON TIMES. Sampson's departure came "less than 24 hours after being hugged by his players" after overseeing England's 6-0 win over Russia. The 34-year-old Welshman had been "under pressure for the last two months after details of complaints by Aluko were made public." The FA "stood by the coach throughout the storm that followed" but the governing body was "left with little alternative than to take action" after it was contacted by a witness making new allegations, unrelated to Aluko's complaints, about Sampson. The allegations reportedly date back to when Sampson was coach of Bristol Academy's women's team between '09 and '13. The latest allegations turned the controversy into a "full-blown crisis" and led to FA Chair Greg Clarke and CEO Martin Glenn "abandoning plans to travel" to UEFA's congress in Geneva this week "to handle the issue" (
LONDON TIMES, 9/20).
