By our reporter
Chelsea Women boss,Emma Hayes, has clarified her position after claiming AFC Wimbledon could not afford her, insisting it is not about money but the fact she has the “best job in the world”.
Hayes had been linked with the vacancy at Wimbledon, which would have seen her become the first woman to manage a professional men’s team in English football.
However, Hayes on Tuesday dismissed the reports calling them an “insult” to women’s football, while she also replied “absolutely not” when asked if the League One side would be able to convince her financially.
She spoke on wednesday after the semi final match,league cup, reiterated she was happy at Chelsea and that “no amount of money” would see her leave the role, where she has won three WSL titles and two Women’s FA Cups in eight-and-a-half-years at the helm.
“Football is for everyone,” she said. “It’s not for the privileged, it’s not for the few, it’s not for the elite. Football is represented by a diverse society and within that diverse society men’s football does not reflect the diverse society that we live in.
“I sincerely hope AFC Wimbledon find the right candidate for their football club. The whole point about them not being able to afford me is nothing to do with money, but everything to do with the fact that I’m in the best job in the world. No amount of money is going to tempt me away from that.
“To see the reaction from my end, all I can say is women’s football and everyone who works within it knows the levels you have to produce to be within it. You see the number of sackings that have taken place in our profession this year.