Sampson under fresh scrutiny over Aluko allegations

Mark Sampson’s attempt to draw a line under the race row that has engulfed him backfired yesterday when he appeared to contradict his own evidence to a formal inquiry.

In his first mass-media interview since Eni Aluko accused him of racially abusing her and one of her team-mates, the manager of England Women failed to answer some key questions.

But it was his response to a question he did choose to answer which

invited fresh scrutiny on his account of what might have led Aluko to claim he told her to ensure her Nigerian relatives did not bring Ebola to a match at Wembley.

Asked whether he had a conversation with Aluko about Ebola over which there may have been a misunderstanding, Sampson said: “I can’t remember any particular conversation.”

That appeared to contradict his testimony to an investigation which cleared him of racially abusing Aluko and her mixed-race Chelsea team-mate, Drew Spence.

According to a transcript of that testimony, Sampson detailed a prematch press conference at the World Cup where Aluko was introduced as ‘Eddie Aluko’.

“We were laughing about the situation in the car on the way back, and I said to her, fair play for correcting me. She told me a story that a cold caller once called her ‘Ebola’ instead of ‘Eniola’. The people in the car laughed about this.”

Even when the existence of this evidence was put to him yesterday, Sampson replied: “I can’t remember a specific conversation.”

Only when pressed further did Sampson say: “What I made clear in relation to what you’re discussing here was an incident where Eni raised a situation with the team and a group of people.”

Sampson repeated his denials of Aluko’s allegations, although he refused to brand her a liar. He refused as well to say whether he thought the comments he was alleged to have made to her or Spence – whom Aluko claims Sampson asked how many times she had been arrested – were racist, saying that was for the players to determine.