Eni Aluko has stepped back from hosting duties at the Women’s Football Awards amid roiling tension over comments made by the former professional about Arsenal legend Ian Wright.
Aluko initially accused Wright – who she has served alongside as a co-pundit on a number of occasions – of ‘blocking opportunities for women’ in women’s football during an appearance on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour.
After facing an immediate wave of backlash for her comments, the former Chelsea star rowed back her comments and issued a public apology to Wright.
But the former Gunner opted not to accept the apology during an impassioned video message shared on Instagram.
Wright called for the public to ‘move on’ from the incident, but the controversy has shown no signs of slowing, with the pair’s employer ITV the latest to weigh in with a strong statement in support of the 61-year-old.
Against this backdrop, Aluko announced that she will take a step back from her role as host at the end-of-season awards on Thursday.
Eni Aluko has stepped down from hosting duties at the Women’s Football Awards amid tension over her comments about Ian Wright
The former Chelsea star was previously tipped to host the end-of-season event on Thursday
Promotional material now only features the remaining hosts Gabby Logan and Jamie Carragher
Aluko was due to take to the stage alongside Gabby Logan and Jamie Carragher at the London ceremony, but in a statement shared on Tuesday, she admitted she did not want her place in the news cycle to ‘deflect’ from the festivities.
‘The Women’s Football Awards hold a special place in my heart,’ Aluko’s statement began. ‘It was the first time an event of this scale was created solely to celebrate the incredible achievements in women’s football, and I’m so proud to have been part of it since the beginning.’
‘However, I’ve decided to take a step back from being part of the hosting lineup this year. I don’t want anything to deflect from the joy, recognition, and celebration that this event is all about.
‘This event belongs to the players, coaches, fans, and everyone who has worked tirelessly to elevate the women’s game.’
‘The awards will be hosted in the very capable hands of Gabby Logan and Jamie Carragher, who I know will bring their passion and energy to the stage. I love women’s football deeply, I’m proud of how far we’ve come, and I’ll absolutely be back involved in the future.’
Aluko’s photograph has since been removed from the event’s publicity material, which now features only Logan and Carragher.
Mail Sport reported on Thursday that Aluko’s position at ITV was under scrutiny amid the fallout from her comments, which came during an appearance where she also claimed that her punditry career had been damaged by ex-Manchester City midfielder Joey Barton, who she’s suing for libel, after he dubbed her a ‘race card player’ on social media in January last year.
She had also said that ITV continuing to employ Wright to cover the women’s game hampered the chances of female pundits coming into the industry.
Aluko claimed that the Arsenal legend was ‘blocking opportunities for women in football’
The ex-professional was discussing women’s football and broadcasting on Woman’s Hour
Former England star Aluko took to Instagram to issue a lengthy apology to co-pundit Wright as the backlash grew
Aluko, who won 105 caps for England, issued an apology to Wright on Friday, saying: ‘lan Wright is a brilliant broadcaster and role model whose support for the women’s game has been significant.
‘In my interview with Woman’s Hour this week, I was trying to make a broader point about the limited opportunities for women in football – whether that’s in coaching, broadcasting or commercial spaces – and the importance of creating more space for women to thrive on and off the pitch.
‘But it was wrong for lan’s name to be raised in that conversation, and for that I sincerely apologise. I’ve known and worked with lan for many years and have nothing but love and respect for him.’
Wright, however, did not accept her reframing of the comments.
‘I have to talk about this week and what’s going on, I don’t want to endlessly be asked about it,’ the former Arsenal striker said in a video on Instagram.
‘I’ve got to say, I’m very disappointed about what Eni has said, she knows how I’ve helped her, supported her publicly, and I know the previous conversations she’s had with me and my management.
‘I’ve seen the apology on social media, but I can’t accept it, but I also want to move on.
‘For anyone watching this, I really don’t need any further social commentary directed on any of this.
But Wright rejected the apology Aluko made on Friday and said he wants to ‘move on’
Wright (pictured with Aluko in 2023) had previously defended her after she was trolled online
‘The thing about where the women’s game is, it isn’t about me – it has to be about the collective.
‘Because of the past, we know the men blocked the women’s game for 50 years, because of the past we know the game has serious systemic challenges, and it’s going to take everyone to help fixes.
So for me, I always give back to the game, it’s given me so much.
‘It’s never bothered me about who’s playing the game, as long as they’re playing the game. if you know my story you’ll know how much football means to me.
‘We are the country that invented modern football, so we have a responsibility, to lead the way in women’s football.
‘We men are the ones that banned women’s football for 50 years, so we have to hold that one. I need to say to everyone who has spoken about it publicly and showed love and support, I say thank you
‘It’s something I do not take for granted.’
Wright also thanked Stoke forward Kayleigh McDonald, who revealed after Aluko’s comments that the Arsenal legend has been funding her recovery following an ACL injury.
Wright also sent love to Kayleigh McDonald, the Stoke forward whose ACL rehab he is helping to support financially
England stars Lauren Hemp (left) and Alessia Russo (right) are among the players that have shown support for Wright’s social media response to Aluko
Stoke were not paying for McDonald’s treatment and she set up a GoFundMe page. The club then backtracked and according to the report, before she was then told that funding would be withdrawn.
Wright is then said to have paid the £1,700-a-month McDonald needed for rehab, in addition to a sports lawyer to help advocate for her.
Aluko has since been left ‘traumatised’ by the backlash to their row, her mother Sileola told MailOnline, as a number of key figures have thrown their support behind Wright.
In the days that followed Wright’s sharing of the video, a number of players – many of them current or former Arsenal stars – have liked the post in an indication of their support for his message.
Among them include, Lionesses stars Lauren Hemp, Alessia Russo and Mary Earps, Gunners quartet Katie McCabe, Daphne van Domselaar, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Katie Reid, as well as former north London favourite Cloe Lacasse.
