Ferdinand claims some QPR criticism due to race and slams "lack of opportunity"

14 October 2023 , 08:32

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Les Ferdinand left Queens Park Rangers during the summer (Image: Getty Images)

Les Ferdinand believes some of the criticism he received as Queens Park Rangers' director of football was because of his race.

Ferdinand, 56, moved into coaching after hanging up his boots in 2006. He spent six years working at Tottenham before becoming QPR's head of football operations in 2014. He was promoted to director of football the following year before departing in June.

The ex-striker faced criticism towards the end of his time at QPR with the team struggling in the Championship. The former Premier League club are 22nd in the table and in danger of relegation, winning just two games under Gareth Ainsworth this season.

Ferdinand has accepted some of the fault-finding in his work but insists he's been unfairly criticised due to his race. The former Newcastle star has also highlighted the lack of opportunities in management-related positions for the black community in football.

Ferdinand opened up on his spell at Loftus Road in the latest episode of Kammy and Ben's Proper Football Podcast with Chris Kamara and Ben Shephard. "Some of the criticism that came was because of my colour," claimed the former QPR chief.

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"I always say to people, 'If I was a bad director of football, it wasn't because of my colour. It was just, I was a bad director of football. If I was a good one, it wasn't going to be because of my colour. It was because of my abilities'."

Ferdinand wants to see my diversity in management-related positions (Getty Images)

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Ferdinand says he felt like "a trailblazer" at QPR due to a "lack of opportunities" for the black community in football. A recent report by the Black Football Partnership found that only 4.4 per cent of black employees held management-related positions in the sport.

Ferdinand noted how the black community are being overlooked due to the "umpteen directors of football" that keep getting chances. He added: "Have they gone from job to job to job because they've always been successful? No... but they continue to get jobs.

"That's not quite correct... and it's the same as management. You know, Paul Ince has to be successful. Darren Moore, who was successful, still loses his job. But their counterparts can afford not to be that good, but still get opportunities to work again."

Ferdinand is involved in an organisation for black players and claims there's more than 200 current and former professionals who are trying to break into management-related positions in football but can't get a look in. He said: "No one's getting the opportunities."

Ferdinand is best remembered for his stellar playing career. He represented the likes of QPR, Tottenham and Leicester, playing more than 500 club games and featured for England's senior team 17 times. He won the League Cup with Spurs in 1999.

Tom Blow