English FA Implements NFL's Rooney Rule for Manager Hiring
The English Football Association has adopted the 'Rooney Rule', a policy implemented by the NFL in 2003, according to the BBC.
As a result, the organization will hold interviews with at least one applicant from minority ethnic backgrounds.
FA Chief executive Martin Glenn has made a statement regarding the new policy, noting that everyone will have an opportunity to have a career with the FA in some capacity, after their playing days are over.
"What it will say is the opportunity to have a career beyond playing is something that the FA is serious about promoting," Glenn said.
"The FA wants to become a more inclusive organization where the workforce more represents the people who play football today."
The policy will apply to all jobs within England teams, but BAME (Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic) applicants will be required to show that they meet certain criteria.
Glenn also pointed out that the new development will make it easier for players and staff to submit complaints on any particular matter, making reference to the Eniola Aluko issue that surfaced last year.
"We want to make sure everyone who puts on the England shirt has a way to air concerns or grievances in a fair, speedy and prompt manner," Glenn added.
"The lessons we had to learn from the Eniola Aluko affair was that we did not have the right procedures in place for elite people to raise concerns. But I think more subtly we did not have the right climate in place for people to feel they could raise their concerns easily. These measures address both of those."
