Vera Pauw again in a tight spot after allegations: ‘How do you defend yourself against a lie?’ | Dutch football

The Athletic published the offending article earlier this week. According to the anonymous players and staff members, the Dutch coach would have behaved inappropriately by body shamingplayers and staff members and make unwanted comments.

As in December last year, Pauw denies the allegations. Her name became at the time mentioned in a report on misconduct in the American women’s soccer league. That report stated, among other things, that she would have addressed players about their weight. Following last year’s report, it was judged that Pauw conditionally would be allowed to return in a role in the American women’s league NWSL, where other accused coaches were suspended for life.

,,I think this is the same story as in December”, said national coach Pauw this afternoon at her press conference with the Irish national women’s team. ,,It comes from a few anonymous players and how do you defend yourself against a lie? I can’t beat that, that’s clear now. I have to live with it and I’m afraid it will haunt me for the rest of my life.”

Pauw argues that the article gives a distorted picture and says that he has provided (unpublished) evidence that the approach of the article is not based on truth. “It’s nonsense, just not true,” Pauw told the press this afternoon. “I know what is true. People around me who know me, who have worked with me, know that the allegations are not true. No one who has known me for long doubts that. The players who make these allegations have an agenda.”

Pauw also thinks that men’s football would have handled such accusations very differently. “Put Pep Guardiola, Louis van Gaal or Jose Mourinho in this position, you would laugh about it. It’s about coaching and nothing else. I don’t want to go into further detail.”

In the relevant article by The Athletic, Pauw states in response that she was threatened with death by a Houston Dash staff member at the time. He would have done that because at the time she had moved the training from the morning to the evening due to extreme heat. According to Pauw, the man would not have been happy with that because he would then have to miss his evening out. She says she was given police protection and her husband had to promise not to renew her contract with Houston Dash, where she was a trainer in 2018. After the season, she left the club.

Pauw has qualified with the Irish women’s football team, which she has led since 2019, for the World Cup football that starts on July 20 in Australia and New Zealand. It is Ireland’s first World Cup participation. Tomorrow the country will practice against France.