Vera Pauw: Republic of Ireland manager denies body shaming allegations

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Vera Pauw has guided the Republic of Ireland to the 2023 World Cup next summer – the country’s first major tournament

Republic of Ireland coach Vera Pauw has said the ‘false’ allegations that she shamed female players in the United States in 2018 are ‘an insult to my personal values’.

A National Women’s Soccer League misconduct report said Pauw, then at Houston Dash, “shamed players for their weight” and “attempted to exercise excessive control over eating habits.”

“To suggest that I would shame any human being, footballer or not, is an insult to my personal values,” Pauw said.

“I cannot allow this claim to go unchallenged.”

A joint investigation unit of the NWSL and its players’ association (NWSLPA) released the findings on Wednesday.

Houston Dash has apologized to past and present players affected by alleged misconductexternal-link by head coach James Clarkson and Pauw, who was in charge of the team in 2018.

Pauw, who took charge of the Republic in 2019 and guided the country to the World Cup final next summer, released a statement on Friday and said she wanted to ‘refute all allegations made. against me since my time at Houston Dash”.

“Player welfare has always been of the utmost importance to me throughout my career. Nutrition is a hugely important aspect of professional football and my advice to players has always been to look after their nutritional needs and their health – and to always seek the advice of medical experts.”

“False” Cooperation Allegations

The report adds that Pauw refused to cooperate with the investigation but provided “a written denial of what she suspected to be the allegations against her.”

The 59-year-old said any suggestion that she did not cooperate with the investigation team was “false”.

“I accepted an invitation to participate in a video call, on September 29, on which there were four people and me,” she added.

“I asked to record the call but they said it couldn’t happen and they refused to answer any questions I had before ending the call. I then wrote a 13-page letter to describe my experience of my time in Houston and offered to contact them again but they never responded.

“I would like to express my disappointment with the way this investigation was conducted, the way I was treated when I attempted to engage in the investigation and the lack of engagement around the release of the report. and statements to the media.”

The Football Association of Ireland issued a statement supporting Pauw and the Dutch manager on Thursday and said “the FAI continues to support Vera and her team as they prepare for the next FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023.”

“I will continue to defend myself against all of these claims,” ​​Pauw said. “I spent my whole career fighting for my players and now I have to fight for myself.

“I am extremely frustrated to have been targeted in such a disappointing way. I cannot allow my name to be associated with such false accusations.”

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