Asian Man Filing Club for Discrimination in Application for Jobs
An Asian man sued the club for being racist in the process of applying for a job in Liverpool.
The Guardian, a British media outlet, reported on the 29th, "An Asian man filed a lawsuit claiming that Liverpool discriminated against him by refusing to apply for his job in the hiring process."
According to the media, a man named Asad Farooq, who sued Liverpool, has earned a degree in stadium and event management and worked at Tottenham Hotspur and the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
Farooq applied for an administrative position in Liverpool in November last year. He thought he was more likely to pass because the job posting stated that he had worked in elite sports.
Contrary to Farooq's expectations, he was not contacted to come for an interview. Later, I heard from Liverpool that "the level of experience in the application is insufficient compared to other applicants who have entered the interview."
However, I came across a shocking fact. Only one person who was hired for the position Farooq applied for had no soccer-related job experience and had only one full-time job experience after graduation.
In other words, Liverpool said Farooq's "experience" was insufficient compared to other applicants, but it was not true when compared to the hired person and his career.
"As a South Asian, I tried really hard to step into the soccer world. I don't think anyone gives me a chance. I can do enough," Farooq said.
"Liverpool values diversity and says they want South Asians to enter the soccer world, but they actually engage in bad recruitment practices. I won't give up because they don't give us a chance," he said.
In its 2022/23 Diversity Report, the English Football Association (FA) is setting a target that "15 percent of new hires should be black, Asian, or mixed." Liverpool also says on its official website, "We are trying to lead the way on equality, diversity, and inclusion."
According to the media, Farooq asked Liverpool for statistics related to diversity, but the club did not provide data. Liverpool claims that Farooq did not call him for an interview because of the high salary he hoped for.
"If there is no change in transparency and attitude despite regular discussions and plans, nothing changes," said Yunus Lunat, the first lawyer to be on the FA committee, adding, "The issue of racial diversity has barely improved over the past 20 years. It's sad that we are still saying the same thing." 스포츠토토