Emma Hayes has called out the gender pay gap for football managers and says she simply wasn’t able to take a sabbatical year like Jurgen Klopp.
Hayes is currently in charge of the United States women’s national soccer team (USWNT) and recently led them to a gold medal at the Olympic Games in Paris.
She is one of the most successful and respected managers in the world of women’s football and only took the USA job earlier this year after 12 trophy-laden years in charge of Chelsea.
Hayes ideally wanted to take a break after her long stint with Chelsea – but because of the gender pay gap – she says couldn’t afford to do it.
That comes despite the United States making Hayes the highest-paid female head coach in world football with a $2 million (£1.6m) salary.
‘I don’t get paid what Jurgen Klopp gets paid for me to take a sabbatical year!’ Hayes told talkSPORT.
‘I have to pay the bills. But at the same time, I’ve got to do the job that I’ve dreamed about doing my whole life and yes, a break would have been optimal.’
Hayes, like Klopp, has enjoyed incredible success as a football manager, guiding Chelsea to seven Women’s Super League titles and five Women’s FA Cup trophies.
She now has arguably the top job in women’s football – as manager of the incredibly successful USWNT – who have won a record four World Cup titles.
But her £1.6m yearly salary is still tiny in comparison to top male managers like Klopp, who was thought to be earning around £15m a year at Liverpool.
Klopp left Liverpool this summer and is taking a break away from football before he considers his next move.
The German had been linked to the England manager’s job before he categorically ruled himself out.
‘At the moment, there is nothing at all in terms of jobs. No club, no country,’ Klopp said this summer. ‘England? That would be the biggest loss of face in the history of football if I said I’ll make an exception for you.’
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