Willie Kirk, the manager of Leicester City Women, has been fired after an internal probe into his purported relationship with a player was conducted. Kirk, 45, was placed on leave from his position earlier this month while the club looked into the matter.
It was noticeable that he was not on the sidelines for Leicester’s last three games; instead, first-team coach Stephen Kirby and assistant manager Jennifer Foster assumed temporary leadership of the group.
Early this month, the 45-year-old was suspended from his position, and a City representative confirmed that he was “assisting the club with an internal process.” For the last three Leicester games, he has not been present on the sidelines. Instead, the team has been led by first-team coach Stephen Kirby and assistant manager Jennifer Foster.
Additionally, the club announced in a statement on Thursday that they had split ways with Kirk. A representative for Leicester said, “Leicester City Football Club can confirm that Willie Kirk has been dismissed from his position as LCFC Women Manager.”
“After a thorough internal disciplinary procedure that honored the Club’s commitments to individual privacy, it was found that Willie had violated the team’s code of conduct to the point where his employment is no longer feasible.
“The code, which was created and put into effect before the current season began, is a component of the Club’s continuous efforts to professionalize women’s basketball since acquiring LCFC Women in 2020 and encouraging a culture of performance-led leadership among players, coaches, and technical staff.
“Stephen Kirby will assist Jennifer Foster in leading the First Team duties for LCFC Women, while the Club starts the process of selecting a new permanent manager.”
The choice to sever ties with Kirk highlights Leicester’s dedication to maintaining professional standards in their women’s team. The team stressed that, in line with their code of conduct that was put into place prior to the current season, they are committed to encouraging a performance-led culture among players, coaches, and technical staff.
With assistance from Stephen Kirby, Jennifer Foster will continue to manage the first team while Leicester City starts looking for a new permanent manager to take Kirk’s place.
When Kirk joined Leicester City Women in 2022 as director of football, his tenure there officially started. In November of that same year, he succeeded Lydia Bedford as manager.
Kirk succeeded in leading the team to safety in the Women’s Super League (WSL) last season despite the difficulty, showcasing his coaching skills and tactical knowledge.
The events leading up to Kirk’s suspension have spurred conversations about the proper dynamics between coaches and players in the women’s football league.
Such relationships have been denounced as inappropriate by a number of WSL managers, who have raised ethical and possible conflicts of interest. This incident comes after Jonathan Morgan, the manager of Sheffield United, was fired earlier in the year due to similar accusations made against him while he was at Leicester.
The prompt action taken by Leicester City Women demonstrates their dedication to upholding the club’s standards and values at all levels while also upholding professionalism and integrity within the organization.
