BLIND RECRUITMENT BOOST TO BLACK COACHES AT YOUTH LEVEL

THE EFL will take another major step in creating opportunities for black coaches next season by making blind recruitment of coaching staff at academy level mandatory for all clubs. The so-called Rooney Rule has been in place in the EFL at first-team level since 2019, meaning clubs are obliged to interview at least one ethnic minority candidate for all vacancies but blind recruitment takes things a step further by ensuring that all identifying details are removed from a candidate’s application before the interview stage. The scheme has been piloted by a number of EFL clubs over the last few months and will become compulsory from next season under EFL regulation 154. The EFL considered making blind recruitment mandatory for coaching appointments at first-team level as well but such a move was considered impractical as most managers seek to appoint long-term associates to their backroom teams.