Relationships between team-mates are “sometimes difficult, but not inappropriate”, says former England defender Anita Asante.
Chelsea manager Emma Hayes said on Thursday that the player-coach and player-to-player relationships were inappropriate.
Hayes also said relationships between teammates can be difficult for coaches to handle.
“I just don’t think so. [player-to-player relationships] It has no relevance to this issue at hand,” Asante said.
Leicester City manager Willie Kirk is under investigation by the club following allegations of a relationship between a player and coach.
It is understood that a complaint has been lodged with the club regarding Kirk's current alleged relationship with the player. BBC Sport has contacted Kirk for comment on the allegations.
“The player-coach relationship is inappropriate and the player-to-player relationship is inappropriate,” Hayes said Thursday.
“We have to look at it in the context of where this game came from,” Hayes said.
“We are now in a professional era where expectations for players and coaches are extremely high, so we have to put all our focus and attention on having the highest standards.”
Asante, 38, played at the top of the women's world for 19 years before announcing her retirement after the 2021-22 season.
“What I can imagine from the context is that she [Hayes] Asante, coach of England Women's Under-23s, said on BBC 5 Live:
“But, of course, that can be difficult, so there will probably be a discussion at some point.”
Everton manager Brian Sorensen said he had never experienced any problems with relationships between players.
“As I said before, the game is becoming more professional, so I can understand why that could be an issue,” he said.
“I can't believe I'm in the same stadium as my opponent.” [player-coach relationships]. ”
There are a number of high-profile players in the Women's Super League (WSL) who are in relationships.
Chelsea's Jess Carter and Ann-Katrin Berger are a couple, as are Arsenal's Vivian Miedema and Beth Mead.
Chelsea striker and Matildas captain Sam Kerr is engaged to West Ham midfielder Christy Mewis, while Tottenham players Amy Turner and Angarad James become WSL's first married couple in June 2023. became.
In his comeback from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, Meade talked about how important it was to have the support of teammate and partner Miedema, who suffered the same injury a month later.
“We're competitive people, we always have been, and we've pushed each other up and helped each other out in a lot of ways throughout the process,” Mead said.
“It helped us bounce back faster than we expected and I think we could have cut corners in some cases, so that's always a good thing when you're competing with each other, but It hasn't been without discussions and problems.'' Ups and downs. “
Kate Richardson-Walsh, former England and Great Britain hockey captain and Olympic gold and bronze medalist posted on social media Regarding the relationship between players and staff.
Walsh began dating his international teammate Helen Richardson in 2008. The two married in 2013, and both have since changed their last names.
The pair won Britain's first Olympic hockey gold medals at the 2016 Rio Games.
“It's definitely not 'inappropriate' and certainly not 'phasing out,'” Richardson-Walsh wrote of the relationship between the players.
“And for the record, the relationship between staff and players is inappropriate. It's an abuse of power.”
