Eni Aluko faces axe after leaving TV bosses 'angry and bemused' by accusing Arsenal legend Ian Wright of blocking opportunities for women

Earlier this week, former England star Aluko, who currently serves as a football pundit with ITV, looked to have accused former Arsenal legend Wright of 'blocking' the pathway for female pundits and 'dominating' the broadcasting of women's football. The accusations came as a surprise to fans, as Wright has often been a massive advocate for the women's game and even backed Aluko against criticism in 2022 after her slip-up during the broadcast of the World Cup in Qatar.

While speaking on BBC Radio Four's Women's Hour, 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. I think he should be aware of that. 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. But that's not the case. I can't dominate the men's game in the way that, you know, you used Ian as an example."

When asked if she believes Wright's coverage of women's football is inappropriate, Aluko said: "I don't know about wrong, but I think we need to be conscious and we need to make sure that women are not being blocked from having a pathway into broadcasting in the women's game. It's still new, it's still growing. There's a finite amount of opportunities and I think that men need to be aware of that. Men need to be aware that, you know, you're in a growing sport, a growing sport for women, and we haven't always had these opportunities, and so it's about the awareness and supporting other women through that pathway."

Aluko's comments have angered the top bosses of ITV, as per a report by The Daily Mail, which claims that the former Lionesses star's comments about Wright have left the management 'angry and bemused'. As such, the report has suggested that the 38-year-old pundit, who has previously played for the likes of Chelsea, Birmingham City and Juventus, could be sacked from her job as a pundit with ITV.

An unnamed source reportedly told The Daily Mail: "Aluko's on very thin ice, the comments she made were ill-judged to say the least.

"ITV pride themselves on having a diverse roster for both pundits and presenters across its sports content, and there is a big female influence when covering women's football.

"So for her to criticise the use of Wright and suggest he's dominating the game is not only factually incorrect, it's actually very disrespectful given how he's helped raise the profile of women's football.

"Her comments have upset a lot of people, and there have been serious discussions over whether she can work for the broadcaster again in the near future."

In her interview with BBC Radio Four, Aluko also asserted that Joey Barton, the hugely controversial former Stoke City star, had hampered her punditry career by calling her a 'race card player' on social media in January of last year. However, her punditry career now faces a bigger question mark if she is indeed dropped by ITV, as they play the broadcaster for the 2025 Women's European Championship.