Eni Aluko axed from all 3 major UEFA finals following public fallout with Ian Wright
Eni Aluko/Instagram
Aluko left out of final line-ups
Eni Aluko
, a regular face on
TNT Sports
' football coverage throughout the season, has been dropped from the broadcaster's punditry team for the three upcoming men's European finals — the
UEFA Champions League
, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Europa Conference League. The 38-year-old former Chelsea and Juventus forward, who earned 105 caps for the Lionesses and scored 33 goals, has notably been involved in covering Chelsea's journey to the Conference League final, including matches against Panathinaikos, Noah, Bournemouth, and Copenhagen.
However, TNT Sports has confirmed she will not be part of the line-up for Chelsea's final clash with Real Betis on May 28 in Wroclaw, Poland. Aluko has not appeared on match coverage since March 27, when Chelsea played Manchester City in the Women's Champions League. Her absence from TNT Sports' European final coverage was first reported by the Daily Mail.
Public row with Ian Wright and its fallout
Aluko's omission follows a high-profile fallout with fellow pundit and former England striker Ian Wright. At the end of April, she also stepped down from co-hosting the Women's Football Awards, a prestigious event, amid the controversy.
Aluko had publicly questioned Wright's role in women's football, suggesting that men occupying positions in the women's game could limit opportunities for female broadcasters. Speaking about the issue, Aluko said:
'I've worked with Ian a long time and, you know, I think he's a brilliant broadcaster, but I think he's aware of just how much he's doing in the women's game.
The fact of the matter is, there is a limited amount of spaces available. If we had a situation where there was an equal opportunity in the men's game for broadcasters and coaches that there is in the women's game, it's a free for all.'
After backlash, Aluko issued a public apology on social media, but Wright refused to accept it. He responded by saying:
'I'm very disappointed by what Eni has said.
She knows how I have helped her and supported her publicly, and I know the previous conversations she's had with me and my management.
I've seen the apology on social media, but I can't accept it, but I also want to move on from it. I don't need any further social commentary directed at anyone.'
Crouch also left out as TNT confirms final broadcast team
Peter Crouch
, another TNT regular, has also been left off the broadcaster's team for all three European finals. According to Mail Online, Crouch has not featured in European match coverage since January but has continued to contribute to
Premier League
broadcasts — most recently for Newcastle United's 2-0 win over Chelsea.
Instead, TNT Sports has announced a refreshed line-up of pundits and commentators for the finals. For the UEFA Champions League final in Munich and the Europa League final in Bilbao, commentary will be led by Darren Fletcher and Ally McCoist. The Europa Conference League final will feature commentary from Adam Summerton and Lucy Ward.
Also read:
Did Eni Aluko cross the line by targeting Ian Wright?
Confirmed TNT sports punditry line-up for European finals:
Champions League Final (Munich): Rio Ferdinand, Karen Carney, Owen Hargreaves
Europa League Final (Bilbao): Rio Ferdinand, Gareth Bale, Glenn Hoddle, Robbie Savage, Paul Scholes
Europa Conference League Final (Wroclaw): Michail Antonio, Joe Cole, Steve Sidwell
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