“Everyone has already touched women”: scandalous statement costs the first division coach the job

Abdel Bouhazama has been the coach of the French first division soccer team SCO Angers for just over three months.

“Everyone has already touched women”: scandalous statement costs the first division coach the job

Abdel Bouhazama has been the coach of the French first division soccer team SCO Angers for just over three months. It is not the permanent sporting crisis that ends the short term, but a scandalous statement.

Abdel Bouhazama has resigned from his post as manager of French top-flight football club SCO Angers after making a comment that downplayed sexual harassment. The decision was made the evening before by mutual agreement between the management and the coach, the club said. The association does not accept any form of discrimination and condemns sexism and misogyny.

A professional who is accused of sexually molesting a woman in a nightclub, Bouhazama tried to defend with inappropriate words, as several media reported with reference to a player. "It's not bad, we've all groped women."

"Abdel Bouhazama, in the face of media pressure and in order to protect the club's image and the calm in the dressing room, has informed President Saïd Chabane that he has decided to step down from his post," the statement said former head coach 'noted'

In order to clear up all ambiguities and misunderstandings, the association emphasized that it unreservedly condemned the statement, even if it was made less out of sexism and more out of clumsiness. Bouhazama apologized to his colleagues, especially female colleagues. Bouhazama only took over the team at the end of November. Angers remain bottom, having picked up just two points in 11 games under Bouhazama.

The coach had been considering "retiring from the first team after several sporting setbacks" since the end of February and that his decision was accelerated by the "controversy [...] that arose on Monday after the out of context statements leaked to the press during the pre-match briefing".